Chess Federation of Zambia (CFZ) says it plans on taking Chess tournaments to correctional facilities as a way of keeping the inmates engaged in productive activities.
Speaking in an interview with Lusaka Star, Federation President, Mukubulo Chilufya said his federation is already working on modalities to implement in order to ensure that inmates across the country participate in the sport next year.
And Chilufya said the federation is delighted that the number of female differently abled chess players has increased.
We have increased the number of women in Chess, and we made sure not to leave our differently abled friends, both male and female behind throughout the year,
he said.
Meanwhile, the president further said that he is proud that the Chess Federation of Zambia is the first federation in the Southern African region to produce a Chess Grand Master.
Zambia is the hub of Chess in the region, and we are the first to produce a grand master,
he said.
We have about eight international masters, who have in the year 2021 continued to make the country proud.
Chilufya however said the federation faced a number of financial challenges due to lack of funding from the Government.
I do not think resources are equitably shared by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Arts, thus the continuous financial challenges that the federation and the sport as a whole continue to experience,
he said.
The president has since thanked the federation’s corporate partners, Kansanshi Mines, Henry Court Yard and individuals as they always came on board when the federation needed assistance through out the year.