More than 150 young chess players from different schools across Meghalaya participated in the Under-19 Boys and Girls State-Level School Chess Competition held in Shillong today.
The competition, organised by the Meghalaya Chess Association, aims to identify promising young chess talent in the state. **Five boys and five girls will be selected from the competition to represent Meghalaya at the national-level tournament in Delhi under the All India Chess Federation.
Speaking at the programme, Meghalaya Chess Association president K.M. Warjri said the growing participation of young players was encouraging. He stressed the need for more tournaments and coaching opportunities to help youngsters improve their skills and gain competitive experience.
MLA Adelbert Nongrum, who attended the event as chief guest, appreciated the Meghalaya Chess Association for bringing together students from different schools and providing them a platform to showcase their talent.
Nongrum also appreciated the teachers, principals and school authorities for encouraging students to participate in sports. He said education should not be limited to academics, pointing out that sports can also provide opportunities for young people to build a career.
He wished the participants success in the Under-19 competition and said the best-performing players would get the opportunity to represent Meghalaya at the Delhi tournament.