It is open to all African players aged 20 years and below. It was expected that current Botswana junior champions Thabo Gumpo and Otshepo Seidisa would take part at the event but Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) has not made a formal explanation as to why it will not send players to Malawi.
The Africa junior chess event is a very important tournament for grooming upcoming players. The winners of the tournament become International Masters (IM) with the runners up getting the FIDE Master (FM) title. Most of the current national team players first made their mark in African junior chess. They include the likes of Ignatius Njobvu, FM Phemelo Khetho, Providence Oatlhotse, Moakofi Notha, Tebogo Pitlagano to name a few.
Botswana has always participated in the 17-year-old tournament and this marks the first time the country is missing out. BCF officials are tight-lipped about the failure, though word has it that the federation is cash-strapped. It is reported that BCF landed in financial difficulties in May when it sent players on an unnecessary trip to Russia for the World Women's Team Championships. At the Russian event, the Botswana team failed to score a point and the country's performance evoked criticism from chess journalists around the world. Many asked why the country did not hire a trainer to work with the team prior to the All- Africa Games. The entire Russia trip cost over P100,000, an amount usually spent by the 13-strong Olympiad team.
