Back row: Teacher Mary Mogano, Zamumzi Mabuya their chess coach, Glen Joseph Montecasino general manager and Edwin Ramabulana.
Front row: Lindiwe Ranako and Puledi Seema.
It is truly inspirational when an initiative like the Tsogo Sun Moves for Life chess programme shares success stories about the community.
Johannesburg Metro Chess Union team at the SA Junior Chess Championship was held in Boksburg, in December last year. Three of the children who were part of the programme in Diepsloot showed so much progress that they were selected to participate in the Johannesburg Metro Chess Union team.
Lindiwe Ranako (12) and Puledi Seema (11) attend the Musenga Vhadzimu Primary School in Diepsloot. They qualified for the South African Junior Chess Championship (SAJCC) through participation in school competitions as well as the Johannesburg Metro Trials, playing in the U14 and U12 sections respectively.
The Johannesburg Metro team did exceptionally well in the championships, having been placed 18th out of 22 teams at the start, and finishing in sixth place overall.
Lindiwe won two of her seven games and Puledi won six of her seven games. They both thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and intensity of the demanding tournament and are committed to being regular players for Johannesburg Metro Chess, playing in the A team.\
Puledi Seema sits proudly in anticipation of another game.
“The reason these girls stand out from among their peers is the amount of extra effort they put into the game. They practise chess every afternoon from Monday to Thursday and they deserve this chance. I’m proud of the progress they are making in the game,” said coach, McDonald Mabuya, Tsogo Sun Moves for Life.
Ranako said, “I love how unpredictable the game can be and I love doing things that challenge me mentally. I also like interacting with other people my age and chess is a great way to achieve this.”
Seema added, “I love chess because it has helped me choose my friends carefully and with wisdom. It has also given us the opportunity to travel to other places and meet children from other areas.”
Glenn Joseph, Montecasino general manager said, “The aim of the Tsogo Sun Moves for Life programme is to use chess as a tool for education, which helps to improve children’s mathematics, science and problem-solving skills. The idea is to improve the cognitive and analytical abilities of youngsters by exposing them to the mental discipline provided by the game of chess.”
