The World Youth Chess Championship or WYCC 2012 is around the corner. Slovenia which is situated in Europe will be hosting the biggest and most important chess event for junior chess players.
How many young players from all over the world will participate? How many Malaysian junior chess players will fly to Slovenia to take part in the world age group event?
Based on its official website, 1587 young chess players from more than 100 countries around the world will compete in the WYCC. Sixteen (16) of them are Malaysians. It is quite a big number since the expense to take part in the event for a Malaysian player is quite a lot.
Looking at the entry statistics among the ASEAN countries, GiLoCatur found that Malaysia has the highest number of participants. On the other hand, Vietnam which won the most individual gold medals in the ASEAN Age Group held in last June has twelve (12) players taking part. Singapore which had won more medals than Malaysia in the same event is sending nine (9) players. Surprisingly, both Philippines and Indonesia which had better medal tally than Malaysia has NO and only ONE representative respectively. Who do you think the only representative from Indonesia? The clue is he had played in the KL open and made an amazing winning streak.
Believe it or not, not many junior chess players can afford to take part in the WYCC 2012 in Europe even for a player living in a developed nation like Canada. Hopefully, the story of a 12-year-old-girl from Canada named Ashley Tapp can be an inspiration and motivation for us, the Malaysian chess community, to raise enough money needed for an international chess stint. Ashley had embarked on a fundraising activity to collect 8,000 (surely Canadian dollars) so that she can make the trip to Slovenia and compete in U12 Girls category in the WYCC 2012.
The BIG QUESTION here is can we, the Malaysian chess community - both parents and chess-playing children alike, emulate a fundraising program which include playing chess for donations and selling items on line like what Ashley did in her country? To find out yourself about the similar obstacles and problems (1. parents have to carry entire financial burden, 2. no or lack of sponsors, 3. chess does not have rightful place in schools, 4. parents have to pay high tournament fees) encountered by a chess player in other countries like Canada and in our country, go to the website here.
GiLoCatur would like to wish ALL THE BEST to all the sixteen (16) Malaysian players competing in the WYCC 2012. Best of Luck also from GiLoCatur to Ashley Tapp, a Canadian girl chess prodigy.
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