Francis� reaps fruits of consistency
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday July 25, 2014 16:06
What started as a secondary school interest has given Francis fame. She participated in athletics as a junior school student and only played chess for leisure. But her love for the chess board grew when she played her first competitive game in an Under-18 tournament in 2009. She was still a student at Naledi Senior Secondary School.
She burst into the national team in 2012 as part of the squad that represented the country at the Olympiad in Turkey.
“It was a great feeling to represent my country. I had to work hard to prove that my inclusion in the team was not a fluke,” she says.
Her recent performance at the Zone 4.3 Championships in Namibia opened the doors to her WFM title. A player must score 6/9 points or be placed second in such a tournament to get the title and Francis achieved both in Namibia. The Black Bishops Chess Club player becomes the third WFM in the country after Kgalalelo Botlhole and Thapelo Francis.
She explained that the title will open doors for her and it is an opportunity to fight for other titles such as Woman International Master (WIM).
“I have been working hard for the title because my young sister, Thapelo became WFM before me. I have now achieved my dream,” she said.
Francis said the title came at the right time when she is preparing for the 2014 Olympiad with the national team and it will serve as a motivation.
She hopes the development would encourage the team to bring home a medal. She said the team stands a good chance as they will have a coach.
Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) spokesperson, Keenese Katisenge said Francis’ achievement shows the increasing number of quality players from the country.
“This is in line with BCF current strategy. If a country has a lot of players with titles, it attracts other countries for competitions.
A high title also works in favour of the player because they stand a chance to be invited for international tournaments and be exempted from paying entry fees,” Katisenge said.