The National Sports Commission can check another box, after the third annual Deaf Chess Workshop was completed yesterday. The program included teaching chess to differently abled students and teachers.
A student receives her certificate and a special prize
This year’s installment of the program began on Monday, March 18 and ran for three days. The Workshop which is being hosted in collaboration with The Deaf Association Of Guyana, promotes inclusivity in yet another sport discipline.
The workshop which is now in its third year, has a number of objectives, which the Deaf Chess Club hopes to meet. These are inclusive of adding Deaf Chess Club players to the local chess players database and hosting the first of a strategically structured tri-annual training/ coaching session for chess players from the club.
Aside from this, FIDE certified Instructor, Wendell Meusa who was tasked with instructing teachers over the three day program, on Wednesday disclosed that the NSC and Deaf Chess Association has plans that goes beyond Guyanese shroes.
“Our ultimate goal is to one day have you guys representing us at an international arena,” Meusa revealed.
He went on to share with students, teachers and parents that Guyana has recently joined the International Chess Committee for the Deaf, being the first Caribbean and South American nation to do so. Furthermore, Meusa hinted at the possibility of taking Guyanese National team to the Deaf Chess Olympiad of the ICCD in Valtellina, Italy later this year.
“Ultimately, if we can put together the finances, on December 12th to 21st, for the first time in history Chess will be part of the Winter Olympics,” Meusa said.
Whilst the program catered to some forty students from New Amsterdam, East Bank, West Coast, Linden and Georgetown, a handful of teachers also benefited, with the objective of overseeing the game in the classroom.
One such teacher was Anita Lall, of the Tuschen Deaf Academy who has been a part of the program since its inception three years ago. Lall told this publication about the benefits of getting students involved in the game.
“Well it’s a brainstorm and it’s a nice game, the children they really like it. It builds a mind of interest for them. Yes, it helps in finger counting too, because it involves Maths. And it helps with spelling,” she explained.
With Wednesday being the final day, the students and teachers were presented with certificates, in recognition of their work. (Jemima Holmes)
