WITH his determination, improved play and help from Mr. Jan Berglund, Dennis Lara will represent Palau in the 2008 Asian Chess Championship for men and women in the first week of November 2008 in Iran.
He will then proceed to participate in the World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany that will start on November 12-25, 2008.
His participation is in the other tournaments parallel to the Olympiad as he is not included in the 5-player Palau team that includes Menandro 'Boy' Manuel, Manny Nedic, Roberto Hernandez, Cyril Montel, Jr. and reserve Gene Pastrana.
But Lara has to shoulder is airfare to Tehran, Iran and to Germany. The accommodation is free and Lara is now soliciting funds from his relatives in the Philippines to grab this once in a lifetime chance to compete internationally in the game of kings.
If there is a woman chess player who can shoulder also her airfare, it is still open.
Chess is not much popular for women in Palau and most of those inactive players participate only when there is cash prizes involved like the inaugural Ambassador Marino Rapid Chess Tourney held in 2006 where Flor Hernandez, wife of Palau no. 4 Roberto Hernandez, won the trophy and $75.00 cash prize.
Anyone of the Palau Chess Team members can also compete in the Asian Chess Championship and if anyone of them has a budget for his airfare in Iran, there might be more than one representative of Palau to the ACC.
This offer will be referred to the team members, who are now in the process of getting Schengen visas from the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany Mr. Thomas Schubert.
Mr. Berglund is coming to Palau soon to train the team members. He was the Delegate that represented USA in the Torino, Italy World Chess Olympiad in 2006.
He can train up to Grandmaster level and Palau top players can gain the necessary training from world class trainer.
He is looking for a place for his retirement and Hernandez offered him the paradise island of Palau.
Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 13 & 15
Volume 18
September 08-14, 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment