Chess associations to relish 2003 SEA Games

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's top chess official and his regional counterpart applauded the inclusion of chess in the list of official sports at the 2003 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam.

The sport was also included in last year's SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, but as an exhibition sport.

"Although we had expected the decision given last year's event, the announcement came as a relief because we now have the chance of winning more medals for Indonesia at the event," Eka Putra Wirya, the executive director of the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi), told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"This should bode well for the development of chess in the country. I hope its inclusion at the SEA Games will stimulate more interest in the sport," he said.

Ignatius Leong, president of the Southeast Asian Chess Confederation, also looked enthusiastic about the news.

"It's good news that chess will be competed at SEA Games for the first time after 44 years," Singapore-based Leong said in a newsletter sent to Percasi.

SEA Games is a biennial sporting showcase event for Southeast Asian nations.

The region comprises ten nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Chess, whose sporting value remains debatable, was one of the three sports outside the SEA Games Federation's statute, which has been added to a provisional list of 24 sports planned for the event during the federation's executive committee meeting in Hanoi at the weekend. The other two are fin-swimming and shuttlecock kicking.

The chess competition will offer eight golds in the eight events, four in 'classical chess' and four for 'rapid chess'. The chess delegation had previously hoped for 12 events but the 'blitz chess' category has since been omitted.

While conceding Vietnam's likely domination, Eka said Indonesia would vie for one third of the golds on offer.

"Vietnam is obviously stronger than us, especially in the women's field.

"Yet, we should be able to fare well if we keep focused on our target," he said.

Vietnam, spearheaded by GM Nguyen Ahn Dung and Thu Huang Tong, rang early warning bells when it won all three golds at the Kuala Lumpur 2001 SEA Games.

The Philippines and Myanmar are the other two tough competitors in the region.