Online Reporter
Meluleki Moyo YOUNG chess minds will engage in a battle of wits in the CBC Songo-Equate Africa Chess Tournament set for Saturday.
With the pieces expected to start moving on the boards early in the morning (8am), the event is set to attract a wealth of talent from a total of over a hundred schools from across the country, and with several of these having already confirmed participation.
Confirming the event while celebrating the power of combined effort at CBC, tournament director and chess teacher in charge, Namatirai Matiza said they are expecting many debutants.
“Participants will compete for a variety of exciting prizes, generously sponsored by Nhlanhla Mtobi, a CBC alumnus. Mtobi has not only offered financial support for equipment, a prizes and medals for the winners, but he has also ensured that the officials will be dressed in stylish regalia, adding an extra flair to the event”, she said.
With a history dating back to 2009, then known as the CBC Chess, the tournament underwent a rebranding following a significant sponsorship deal with Equate Africa, a South African-based consultancy.
Of late, the partnership has elevated the tournament’s profile to CBC Songo-Equate Africa, in honour if its founder, the late Nivathi Songo, whose vision was to create a developmental platform for young chess enthusiasts from all walks of life, and in the process, promoting social justice which is one of the main pillars of Edmund Rice (founding father of Christian Brothers a discipline within the Catholic Church)
Songo’s legacy continues to thrive as his brainchild has expanded its reach from humble beginnings as a local event to national.
The 2024 tournament drew 36 high schools from across the – country, a testament to its growing popularity and influence. Before meeting his demise last year, he presided over a total of 117 teams, with 36 teams participating in the Junior Open, 27 in the Junior Girls category, 28 in the Senior Open and 26 battling it out in the senior girls category.
Evidently flaunting a holistic approach to education, allowing learners to engage in a variety of sporting activities, CBC Bulawayo provides an array of sporting disciplines, including basketball, cricket, tennis, water Polo, volleyball, swimming, rugby, squash, hockey as well as athletics.
Peter Tanyanyiwa