National chess champion from Khutsong

Lonwabo Fihla seems to enjoy wearing the green and gold SA colours. He was recently crowned the SA Junior Chess champion and was delegated to represent the country in continental and world competitions. He took part in the African Youth Chess Championships at The Boardwalk Hotel in Port Elizabeth from 21 to 29 August and came face to face with players from Tunisia, Algeria, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria and Lesotho. Playing against the best from every country, he did well to finish fourth after ending in the joint third position. Although Lonwabo wanted to win the tournament, he took comfort in knowing that he lost to the best players and beat everybody else. This will be his motivation when he represents SA in the coming international World Youth Cadets competition in Georgia from 18 to 31 October. Lonwabo was granted a sponsorship from Anglogold Ashanti that covers all his expenses. During the July holidays, he was also part of the Hlangabeza team that represented Gauteng schools at the SA

Nationals Schools Championships at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The team brought home silver and made the province proud. Other players were Saidi Nombulelo, Msiwa Lerato, Gwabeni Thandi and Selana Mzwandile. They had to beat tough opponents at the Gauteng Championships in order to make it to the team. Team Gauteng won the competition, combining the results from all the sporting codes, chess, cricket, rugby, volleyball, khokho, jukskei and soccer. Eleazar Nhamuave from Badirile High was also part of the u.15 team that won gold. The players were fortunate because their coach, Mr Eazy Tshabadira, was appointed Gauteng coach for the u.13 girls and u.15 boys teams, which won silver and gold respectively. The school is now preparing for the provincial school league finals that will take place at The University of Pretoria. All four of the school teams won gold in the district finals (u.9, u.11, u.13 boys and u.13 girls). They will be hoping to defend their glory of last year and prove that they are still the best in Gauteng and the country.