Nigeria stars upbeat for Chess Olympiad

Nigerian chess stars at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, are confident of making a strong impression as the competition gets underway on Wednesday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Nigerian delegation departed for Uzbekistan on Monday night aboard Turkish Airlines, with the country’s players combining experience and youthful ambition as they seek to make their mark at the prestigious global championship.

Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, Nigeria’s number one chess player, is targeting a medal in his category and believes the country has the quality to compete strongly in Samarkand.

“Personally, my expectation is to play the best chess that I possibly can, and hopefully, we can win a category medal,” he said.

“I think Team Nigeria is quite strong. We have some experienced veterans as well as some very young players, so I believe we can do very well at the Olympiad,” he added.

Nigeria will field 10 players, five men and five women.

The men’s team comprises Abdulraheem, Bomo Kigigha, who is set to make his eighth Olympiad appearance, Ekunke Goodness, Bartholomew Okhipo and Odion Aikhoje, while Deborah Quickpen, Michelle Nwankwo, Sandra Omoruyi, Bridget Michael and Joy Iyefu make up the women’s team.

At 15, Goodness Ekunke is one of the youngest members of the contingent and will be making his Olympiad debut after winning the World Rapid Amateur Chess Championship in Abuja in August.

The youngster is approaching his first appearance on the global stage without fear, insisting he is ready to perform at his best.

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“I don’t think I’ll feel any pressure, actually. I’ll just stay relaxed and free, but I’ll also perform very well,” Goodness said.

“We’ll perform better than we have ever performed before, and we won’t have any poor performances,” he declared.

Another teenage member of the team, Michelle Nwankwo, is also relishing the opportunity to compete at the Olympiad, while Deborah Quickpen says her preparations have helped her build confidence ahead of the tournament.

Quickpen said she had been preparing mentally for an Olympiad appearance even before her selection was confirmed, knowing she could eventually have the opportunity to represent Nigeria in Samarkand.

“I’m confident that I’ll be able to handle the pressure because I was already preparing for the Olympiad before I even knew I would be selected,” Quickpen said.

“I believe I’ll do well, by God’s grace. It’s not by my power, but I’m also going to do my best and play my part. I also believe my teammates will do their part as well.”

The Olympiad runs from September 15 to 27 and features a record 400 national teams competing in the Open and Women’s sections at the Silk Road International Tourist Center/EXPO Center in Samarkand.

With the opening ceremony held on Tuesday, competition begins Wednesday (today), when Team Nigeria will begin its quest for honours.