Monrovia – Several members of the Liberia Chess Federation (LCF) showed their support for the re-election of President George Weah on Thursday, September 7, 2023, by hosting the Check 18 chess tournament. Anthony Waylea, Jr. and Georgina Sackie emerged as the winners in the open and female sections, respectively.
By: Christopher C. Walker [email protected] 0777898224/0886723075
Waylea, Jr. dominated the open section with a score of 7.5/9, while Miss Sackie in the female section secured victories in all her games to be crowned the champion of the two-day event held in Monrovia.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, more than five athletes in each category were awarded cash prizes for their outstanding performance in the recently concluded chess tournament, organized in honor of President Weah’s re-election.
The head of the group, Thomas Karyah, announced that five players who participated in the tournament received cash prizes. Karyah spoke to journalists and mentioned that while the tournament was a special part of President Weah’s re-election campaign, it also contributed to the improvement of the athletes’ skills as they continue their training for national and international tournaments.
Karyah described the turnout of athletes for the tournament as a significant boost to their skill development and expressed hopes of soon launching another major tournament to maintain the athletes’ focus as they prepare for more national and international competitions.
Thomas Karyah stated, “The tournament was a special event in celebration of the re-election of the Chief Patron of Sports, President George Weah. We awarded prizes to the winners, runner-ups, and even those who finished in the top five in the male and female categories. The first-place award was $1000, which was won by one of Liberia’s finest, Anthony Waylea. Joel O. Ebiekuta came in second and received $700, while James Tondo earned $500 after finishing third in the male division.”
In the female section, Georgina Sackie received $400 as the winner, Abigail Karyah received $300 as the runner-up, and she was followed by Princess K. Banney, who received $150 in the third spot.
In the youth section, Archie Dayyeah collected $200 as the winner, Samuel Williams took home $100 as the runner-up, while Elijah Thomas received $50 in the third spot.
Mr. Karyah expressed his gratitude to Finance Minister Samuel Tweh for financing the tournament and encouraged the winners from the male and female divisions, as well as other participants, to continue delivering their talented performances, as more tournaments will be organized in the near future.
In conclusion, he reiterated that the turnout of athletes for the tournament was a significant boost to their skill development and expressed his hope for the upcoming launch of another major tournament to maintain the athletes’ focus as they prepare for more national and international competitions.