By S. Siapha Mulbah
Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, Jr, has reaffirmed the Weah-led government’s commitment to developing Chess across Liberia, like other sports under the sporting bureau.
The minister disclosed that the Liberia Chess Federation has made significant representation for Liberia among the comity nations when it comes to participating in the sporting sector.
Describing the game as a mind development and intellectual tool to every society, the finance boss intimated that the government sees it necessary to support the process of getting more young people involved, for the good of the country.
He suggested that the Local Chess Federation initiate more programs and improve their ‘Chess in School Programs’ to the communities and to have more youths taking advantage of learning the game.
He urged the LCF to work with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to include Chess education in the At-Risk Youth Project, so that the players can get an alternative addiction that is positive to the growth of the game and country at large.
“Chess is a very addictive sport, which is better for all of us around than drugs. The Chess Federation needs to work with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to make our youth refined after their rehabilitation under the At-Risk Youth Project. It is better to get addicted to chess than getting addicted to drugs,” Tweah said.
He celebrated the Federation for performing excellently at the second edition of the Accra Classic Chess Competition that recently took place in Ghana, where Liberia collected Bronze and Gold medals as the best performing federation among five different federations from across the region, with 35 players participating.
The Finance Minister made the exchange at the conference hall at the Ministry of Youth And Sports in a colorful ceremony, when the Liberia Chess Federation presented to him the trophies won from the Accra Chess Competition.
During the program, the Director for Chess in School at the Liberia Chess Federation, Kemoh Sambola, said the Federation has made the achievements by virtue of the constant support made to them by the government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
According to Sambola, the Bureau of Sports had been committed to covering the expenses of the Chess Federation, in both local and international competitions.
“We went to the Chess World Cup organized by the International Chess Federation and raised the flag of Liberia. We played in the Accra Chess and won that trophy, we hosted other local Chess programs and all of them had been endorsed and supported by the Ministry of youth and Sports.
For his part, Minster D. Zoegar Wilson of the Ministry of Youth and Sports praised the Finance Ministry for consistently attending to the calls of the Chess Federation on request of financial support and assistance in other means.
According to Minister Wilson, Chess has been part of the sports that has brought pride to the country. He urged other federations to emulate the examples of the LCF to keep the flag of the country above other countries in the world.
