The Hindu : Indian squad for Chinese tourney

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 06, 2002

Sport

Sport - Chess

Indian squad for Chinese tourney

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 5. A 12-player team, accompanied by four officials, will represent the Indian challenge in the International Open chess tournament to be held at Qingdao, in China, from July 3 to 9.

According to the secretary of the All India Chess Federation Secretary, Mr. P. T. Ummer Koya, the team comprises an equal number of men and women players, based on their performances in the National championships.

Grandmasters K. Sasikiran, P. Hari Krishna, Abhijit Kunte and Dibyendu Barua besides International Masters Surya Sekhar Ganguly and R. B. Ramesh form the men's team. The first six finishers from the National `A' women's championship, scheduled to begin at Lucknow on May 5, will complete the squad.

The playing members will be accompanied by Messrs P. C. Chaturvedi (Chef-de-misson), Anil Tuteja (men's coach), V. K. Rathi (women's coach) and Gurucharan Singh Hora (manager).

The championship has been divided into two parts. Tournament `A' will be for those with the ratings of above 2450 and offers $ 8,000 as the first prize. Tournament `B' is for those below 2450, with the winner due to get $1,500. There are three special prizes each in the women's and the under-16 sections.

The coaching camp for the men's Olympiad team will commence at Kozhikode on May 6. Evgeny Vladimirov will hold the camp till of the month.

Mr. Koya disclosed that the Sports Ministry had paved the way for the AICF to invite the services of two foreign coaches, against four requested, at full government cost.

"Besides Vladimirov and Valeri Salov for the senior players, the AICF has also been comtemplating camps for sub-juniors and juniors, as well, under Maxim Sorokin and Ruslan Sherbakov,'' he said. The Government has assured the AICF that ''depending on the performance, we may consider extension of their tenure or bring in additional number.''

With the Government responding so positively, talented players at the age-group level, too, are sure to benefit in times to come.

Meanwhile, the AICF is toying with the idea of holding a Category 17 or 18 tournament involving six players with Viswanathan Anand being the star attraction. Though the dates and venue will depend on the confirmation received from Anand, the proposed prize-money for the event is $25,000.

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