28 Jan 2018

Founder of Limitless Minds Chess Academy, Keenese Katisenge says through their programmes which target making chess accessible to people living with disability, people in rural areas and other marginalised groups, the academy aims to turn dreams of aspiring chess players around the country into reality.

Speaking during the official launch of the academy at Oasis Motel on Saturday, Katisenge further said they want to become the academy of choice in terms of creativity, innovation and inclusion programmes.

“Through our sport for all approach to sport development at the academy, we would like to introduce chess programmes designed to suit the needs of different communities within our society,” she explained.

She said they were in the process of introducing a chess programme for visually impaired people which would run at Mochudi Resource Centre and sponsored to the tune of P50 000 by Mascom Wireless.

Through the programme, Katisenge said they were hoping to hone the chess skills of visually impaired children in Botswana so that they could one day compete in international chess tournaments for people living with disabilities.

She also said they were in discussions with relevant stakeholders to introduce chess for refugees at Dukwi refugee camp.

“We also plan to introduce reputable online chess events in Botswana. Our first online chess tournament which we would be hosting in partnership with Africa Chess will be held this year at a date to be communicated,” she said, further revealing plans to host an international junior chess tournament in partnership with BCF towards the end of the year.

Mascom communications and public relations manager Barbara Gotlop said her company was honoured to sponsor the initiative by Limitless Minds Academy to make chess accessible to people living with disabilities. “Chess is the best sport to exercise the most important organ our brain. Some of the benefits of playing chess include promotion of brain growth, raises the IQ, sparks the creativity, increases problem solving skills and optimises memory improvement,” she said.

Gotlop said the initiative for inclusion of visually impaired people in chess was aligned to the Mascom strategy of supporting vulnerable groups in the society. Ends