Uni-Mates Chess Club is celebrating the impressive results of its players who competed in the West Rand Trials earlier this September.

Head coach for the club, Fernando Nyirenda, explained that the event was open to any person in the region who wanted to participate and compete for a spot in the Gauteng Inter-regional Chess Tournament. Eleven members from the club took part in the tournament, battling it out for their spot.

Fernando stated that all the players had outstanding results. In the open section, Mpho Nyoka received first place, while Antonio Moultrey followed close behind him in second place, and Muntu Phiri took third place. In the U20 section, Ntumbuluko Ngobeni took third place. In the U18 section, first, second and third place were taken by Uni-Mates. Kganya Sehularo took first place, Ebube Udodi took second, and Kgotatso Molosiwa took third place. In the U14 section, Tshireletso Kalimashe took second place.

Fernando gave a word of praise to the players, saying, “Your performance was nothing short of inspiring! Dominating across different sections and bringing home multiple podium finishes shows the strength, dedication and growth of Uni-Mates Chess Club. Every game played was a step forward, whether it ended in victory or valuable lessons for the future.

“A big congratulations to all our players. You represented Uni-Mates with pride and excellence. We look forward to seeing even greater achievements as we continue this journey together!” he concluded.