(227) CHESS AT 2015 PACIFIC GAMES

LOBBYISTS (JOSELITO AND SHAUN)
Joselito Marcos, left, and Shaun Press, middle, of Papua New Guinea are asked to lobby the PNG Organizing Committee to include Chess as one of the optional sports in the 2015 Pacific Games. New Zealand's Paul Spiller, right, had a controversial game vs. Lito at the 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)




CHESS AT 2015 PACIFIC GAMES

THERE IS a great possibility that chess might be included in the 2015 Pacific Games to be held in Papua New Guinea.

In his email to Brian Jones, the Oceania Chess Confederation (OCC) President, Dr. Virgilio de Asa noted the following:

Brian, you should be working/liasing quickly with your contacts in Samoa, Tonga or New Caledonia. We need to identify another Pacific regional country who is willing to organize themselves and form a national chess federation just like what Guam Echecs did and on advice affiliated with their NOC.
As Mr. Blas, president of Guam NOC has mentioned, the Pacific Games Council will have its AGM in August 2011 and will need at least 3 months notice to forward its Agenda to all its members. So we have until early May to work this thing out.
The current president of Pacific Games Council is Vidhya Lakhan, preseident of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) who is also the patron of Fiji Chess Federation. I can assure you of his support once we've got the required number of six countries in the Pacific community.
We also need a strong support from our OCC members in the Pacific --Palau, Solomons and particularly PNG since the 2015 Pacific Games will be held there. Joselito and Shaun should help lobby the PNG Organizing Committe to include Chess as one of the optional sports in the Games (once we've got the magic number).
You've mentioned that Gary with OCC funding is planning to organize an Invitational Tournament in New Caledonia, any definite timetable? Regards, Virgilio (President, Fiji Chess Federation).

That email is in response to Brian's email to Leon Ryan of Guam Echecs that says:

Dear Leon, I was pleased to note your recent correspondence with Dr. Virgilio de Asa. We would be pleased to welcome Guam Echecs (Island Chess) as an associate member of Oceania Chess Confederation (OCC).
Additional information is available at our website www.oceaniachess.com I look forward to you joining us from 1 January 2012 and hope to see you and your players in Fiji if not before.
Details of the Queenstown tournament are available at http://www.newzealand.chess.co.nz
The OCC meeting will probably take pace on Saturday 21 January 2012. Please send news or details of your Executive Board if possible.
Also, do you have any contact with USCF or submit games for rating? I note that GM Ray Robson was born in Guam!
Please do not hesistate to contact me if we can assist in any way. Best wishes, Brian Jones --President, FIDE Zone 3.6 (Oceania)

In the resumption of 2011 Rapid Chess tournament at Palau Royal Resort Dormitory 1, Ferdie Altea remains as the only unbeaten player after scoring another sweep off Miguel Gancayco, who had a vacation on April 08.

Rudel Roxas, Elizalde Madrinan, Jeffrey Negrillo, Ferdinand Gutierrez are still leading the race for top 4 finishers who will make it to the semifinals.

There are no games played on Sunday, April 03 as Mohammad Manik Hossain has to leave before 3:00 pm for work and no players arrived. Manik arrived at 11:30 but Celiz arrived with Tito Cabunagan at 1:45 and Manik had left already.

Tito and Jose just practice blitz chess while waiting for other players.


Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 12 & 15
Volume 20'
Issue 15
April 11, 2011