Zambian player targets title defence
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday September 29, 2015 11:11
Mwali told Mmegi Sport from Zambia that his mission to Botswana is to defend his title. He said Zambians have consistently won the tournament for the past five years and the trend cannot be broken now. He explained that he has been preparing for the tournament for a long time. Mwali said he expects competition to come from his fellow Zambian players. Mwali said International Master Providence Oatlhotse is the only local player who stands a chance to cause an upset.
“I started playing my first tournament in Botswana in 2002 during the African Under 20 Championship when the country did not have an IM. Even when I won the same competition in 2006 you did not have an International Master. The increase in the number of titled players will boost local players’ confidence,” he said.
Mwali suggested that Botswana players must be given a chance to play in many FIDE rated tournaments.
The President of Botswana Chess Federation (BCF), Tshenolo Maruatona said the tournament is divided into Prestige, Open and Women sections. Debswana sponsors the tournament to the tune of P80,000. The winner of the Prestige Section walks away P10,000 richer with a gold medal and a trophy. Prize money for Open Section is P3,000 and the winner of the Women Section also takes home P3,000.
“The championship brings together players from the Southern Africa region and it is the biggest in our calendar. We have seen Zambia dominating the tournament in the past years. It is time for our local players to up their game and win it,” said Maruatona. He said other countries that have registered for the tournament are Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa. Maruatona added that it is the only competition where SADC players battle for the coveted prize.
Meanwhile, Oatlhotse indicated that local players intend to cause upset at the competition. He said they are aware of the mammoth task they will face especially against Zambians.