PHILIP AMEKU AND ANGELA AYIKU WIN FOUNDER’S DAY CHESS COMPETITION
Philip Ameku, formerly of the University of Ghana Chess Club, clinched his first major win in a national open championship when he obtained 6½ points out of 7, while Angela Ayiku won the ladies’ version in the September 2012 National Open Chess Tournament organised in honour of our founder, Dr Kwame Nkrumah on Founder’s Day.
In a tournament, which attracted a strong field of players including Dr Sekou Nkrumah, an avid chess player and son of our illustrious First President, Philip Ameku brushed aside the opposition coming in from two members of the national team that took part in the just ended World Olympiad in Istanbul to win his first tournament. Angela Ayiku also scraped through stiff opposition from Dorcas Allotey to win the ladies event. The president of the Ghana Chess Association Wing Commander George Arko-Dadzie, who was happy with this feat, urged the Government to make the game of chess part of the educational or sporting curriculum of the Basic and Second Cycle schools.
According to him, chess is one of the most powerful educational tools available to strengthen a child’s mind. It enhances the concentration, patience and perseverance of an individual. It also develops his or her creativity, intuition, memory and ability to analyse and deduce from a set of general principles how to make tough decisions and solve problems flexibly.
He further mentioned that the game should be taken seriously as it is one of the games Ghana could win medals given the needed sponsorship, motivation and support.
The President of the Association indicated that funding has been the major bane to the growth of the game in the country and pleaded with the corporate bodies to come to their aid.
You must be logged in to post a comment.