Showing posts with label Olympic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olympic. Show all posts

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

From Georgia with Love - 2018 FIDE Chess Olympiad


In June 1992 I played my first international chess event which was the Olympiad in Manila, Philippines. Since then, I have had a soft spot for this fantastic competition which brings together chess players from all countries in the world. I have decided that it is important to record the South African history at Chess Olympiads. I have started with the 2018 Olympiad as it was the last physical Olympiad I attended as captain. I have now analysed all the games South Africa’s Open and Women’s team played in Batumi, Georgia and have drawn important lessons from all the games played over the eleven rounds played at the event. The book is available at R300. 

The book launch will take place at the University of the Western Cape Stadium between 18h30- 19h30 on Friday the 18th of July. You are welcome to attend this hour-long event. 

Extracts from the book follows: 

Foreword by Professor Berte van Wyk 

First Chessa President - 1992 

The ideas on the series of history of chess in South Africa by Dr Lyndon Bouah are the fruits of a life-long commitment to chess. I am convinced that since his earliest days as a chess player in Bethelsdorp, Dr Bouah, displayed a more than casual interest in the game we all love. It certainly did not start in 2018, which is the focus of this book. 

Historical consciousness is a powerful tool to explore his trajectory and to develop a deeper understanding of what led to the country’s participation in the 2018 Chess Olympiad. To backtrack a bit: keep in mind that South Africa was re-admitted to the FIDE community in 1992 after the South African Chess Federation was banned due to the country’s apartheid policies. It took a great sense of pragmatism and leadership from the three disparate chess bodies i.e., the South African Chess Congress (SACCON), Chess Association for the People of South Africa (CAPSA) and the South African Chess Federation (SACF), to come together and to unite in the interest of chess. This led to South Africa’s participation in the 1992 30th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Manila where Dr Bouah was a member of our team. 

Foreword by Professor Marion Keim 

With his eleventh book on chess heritage and especially his chapter, A Case for Olympism and Olympic Values in Chess over the last Seven Decades Adv Dr. Lyndon Bouah gives us a review of the past and a view to the future, just like the motto of his Alma Mater, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Respice – Prospice. We are particularly proud of this achievement as this is the first book under the newly established Olympic Study Centre, the Olympic Studies and Research Action Group (OSRAG) at the University of the Western Cape which joined the elite prestigious group of 70 Olympic Studies Centre around the world. 

In 2024 we marked 120 years of Africa’s participation in the Olympic movement, as the first country on the continent, which we celebrated in Paris on the eve of the opening of the Games at the 2024 International Olympic Education, Sport and Peace Conference where Adv. Dr. Bouah was one of the presenters. Incidentally the roots of the Chess Olympiads trace also back to Paris, when the French Chess Federation aspired to run a chess tournament alongside the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. Though debated in its early form, the official lineage of the Olympiads began in 1927, with 16 nations competing and laying the groundwork for what has now become a biennial gathering of over 190 countries. 

In the spirit of Olympism, which emphasizes the harmonious development of body, will, and mind, this retrospective reflection by Dr. Lyndon Bouah seeks to celebrate not only our competitive milestones but also the values and cultural significance the Olympiads represent”. 

I decided many years ago that it is an important part of our chess heritage to write about chess and I decided that I will accept that duty. This is my eleventh volume of a series of reflections that I am publishing. I have decided to write about my journey in the world of chess from different perspectives. I have added learning lessons from the 2018 Olympiad Games and also interesting quotes from famous players and authors. 

There are close to 100 games in this volume. I have also told the reader a bit about Georgia as the country. A narrator told us that one of the legends connected to the invention of chess takes us to India. Presumably, chess entered Georgia from India itself. According to historical information, women’s dowry from the Middle Ages were always the same two things- Shota Rustaveli’s poem ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ and a chess set, which once again confirmed the Georgian’s people’s endless love of chess. 

The Knight in the Panther’s Skin is a Georgian medieval poem, consisting of over 1600 quatrains, written in the 12th century by the epic Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli. It is considered as the masterpiece of the Georgian literature. It tells how Queen Tinatin, orders her beloved general Avtandil to help a knight, Tariel, found weeping and wearing a black panther’s skin, to retrieve his beloved Nestan-Derejan from captivity and his kingdom from usurpers. 

I further learnt that Georgia is proud of its rich chess traditions, and the most intense duel the Georgians still remember very well is the match that took place in 1978 in Bichvinta, Georgia between the world champion at the time – Nona Gaprindashvili and the seventeen-year-old Maia Chiburdanidze. 

It was since then that Georgia is now called the country of queens. And to this day, children are still named after the legendary chess Olympic Champions (Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nana Alexandria, Nana Ioseliani.) 

 The book is available from Lyndon on 071 363 1306 or on lyndon.bouah@gmail.com. 

 See you at UWC on the 18th of July.

Additional reading:

Other news: 

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Wednesday, 6 April 2022

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace - 6 April.


The birth of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed April 6 as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, thus establishing a historic link with the opening date of the first Olympic Games in 1896. Since 2014, this day is celebrated every year.

The IOC, as a permanent observer to the United Nations, supports this initiative because it knows that this day is a way to recognize the mission and action of sports organizations in the context of social change and human development. More specifically, it is an opportunity for the IOC to highlight how athletes and the Olympic Movement use sport to encourage peace, reconciliation and development, underlining the Games' ability to promote tolerance and solidarity between participants, fans and people around the world.

Read the full text of the UN resolution.

Sport, a universal tool at the service of development.

In 2015, a historic event for the Olympic and Sports Movement, the United Nations' final document on the Sustainable Development Goals officially mentions sport as an "important partner" in sustainable development. In this context, the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is an ideal platform for advocating with governments for increased investment in sport, related infrastructure and education. quality physics for young people.

Using sport to encourage development and peace has been one of the main missions of the IOC since its creation in 1894. Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the IOC, was very explicit about his wish to make Olympism a forum to promote harmony between individuals and countries. It is therefore particularly appropriate that this International Day highlights the positive role of sport and physical education at all levels, whether it is occasional practice or competitive sport.

It is also an opportunity to show how the IOC, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International (IF) and national sports federations, sports clubs, governmental and non-governmental organizations, neighborhood associations, other entities and volunteers put sport at the service of humanity.

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Thursday, 17 December 2020

Christophe Dubi on the Future of the Olympic Games.

The #wcs20, which runs from 17-19 December 2020, comprising GEFcon – the Global Esports  Convention – and a global collective of esports community events. GEFcon is a thought leadership  platform as well as leading ideas and innovation incubator, developed in partnership with the GEF’s  partner, Sports Innovation Lab. GEFcon will feature exclusive live webinar sessions and a series of  sessions on-demand that are designed for the collective benefit of esports. Visit www.GEFcon.org for  full program and registration details.  Also read:
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Saturday, 28 November 2020

MSSA remains a dynamic institution.

 

Johan van Breda (MSSA Vice-President) at Olympic House on Friday, 27 November 2020.

Many South African sporting federations have the structure of athletes affiliating to clubs, clubs affiliating to regional federations, regional federations affiliating to provincial federations, and provincial  federations affiliating to national federations.

In Mind Sports South Africa's opinion, such system alienates the athlete from those who ultimately administrate the sport. Also for anyone who enters a sport, it may take a lifetime of compromise and double-dealing to reach the highest echelons of power. Generally speaking, athletes have to make a name at club, regional, and provincial level before he or she can make it into a national board.

The system as described above is further compli9cated in that many of such sports allow provincial federations equal voting powers which, itself, seems to means that the weaker provinces 'gang' up on the stronger, bigger, wealthier, and more successful provinces. Often the weaker and poorer provinces also survive on hand-outs made by the national board. Such support by the national board thus often seems to translate into overt support for the existing national board by provincial federations that receive such support.

Thus Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has a very different structure. Clubs are directly affiliated to the national federation which allows greater upward mobility as well as greater say for the clubs in the way in which MSSA is run.

Any member member club may nominate a registered player for a position on the Management Board. However, such nominee must fulfill at least one of the following criteria, being:
  • Have served a full term on the Management Board (3 years), or
  • Have served a full term as Provincial Director (2 years), or
  • Have served two full terms as Regional Director (2 years), or
  • Have served two full terms on a Board of Control (2 years), or
  • Have earned at least ten (10) Protea caps, or
  • Have served three years on the club committee of which they are currently a member.
Through MSSA's dynamic system, a Registered Player can move through the ranks in a matter of two years in order to be elected to a position on the national board.

Thus MSSA will always have new and fresh ideas being expressed on the board. 

Also read:

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Friday, 16 August 2019

WADA TO DELIVER INDEPENDENT OBSERVER AND ATHLETE OUTREACH PROGRAMS AT THE 2019 AFRICAN GAMES

Montreal, 15 August 2019 – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to outline its planned Independent Observer (IO) and Athlete Outreach (AO) programs for the 12th African Games, taking place from 19 to 31 August 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. The Games will involve almost 7,000 athletes from 54 African countries competing in 26 sports.

The IO and AO teams (listed below) will be active during the African Games and, respectively, will provide real-time expert advice to organizers on all matters relating to the doping control program in place, and will give athletes and their supporting teams the opportunity to learn more about anti-doping and how the anti-doping community works to protect clean sport.

WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said: “The African Games are another important event on this year’s sporting calendar as we inch closer to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. WADA is pleased that an Independent Observer team will be present in Rabat, working alongside the African Games’ doping control team and organizers, to assess every aspect of the anti-doping program in place for the benefit of clean athletes.

“We also welcome the opportunity for a dynamic WADA outreach team to be on hand to engage and educate participating athletes and their support personnel about anti-doping and the importance of instilling clean sport values within the larger sporting community. These are key priorities for WADA and I wish to thank the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the African Games’ organizing committee for their ongoing support in helping us to execute these programs on the ground.”

WADA’s IO team, which is composed of international experts in anti-doping, is intended to instill confidence in athletes and other stakeholders as to the quality, effectiveness and reliability of anti-doping programs being carried out at major events around the world.

The IO team will observe all aspects of the African Games’ anti-doping program, including:
  • Test distribution planning
  • Selection of competitors for testing
  • Notification of doping control
  • Sample collection procedures
  • Therapeutic Use Exemption procedures
  • Results management
The team will provide daily feedback to ANOCA and the African Games Organization Committee of Rabat 2019 (RAGOC). The team will then issue a post-event report that will include a series of observations and recommendations designed to enhance anti-doping activities at future African Games.

A WADA AO team will also be present to provide an opportunity for all competitors to engage with anti-doping in an informal and fun environment. The AO team, which will be staffed by anti-doping experts from across the African continent, will be active in the athletes’ village during the first week of the Games. The aim of the team is to raise awareness among athletes, support personnel and others as to the dangers and consequences of doping and as it relates to athletes’ rights and responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code.

Visitors to the AO booth will be encouraged to complete the Play True Quiz, which is now available in 43 languages, to sign a pledge explaining why they Play True, and to share their experience on social media using the hashtag #PlayTrue.

THE IO AND AO TEAM MEMBERS

The IO Team
  • Sophie Berwick (IO Chair), Anti-Doping Consultant
  • Sameh Elray (Team Manager), WADA
  • Dr. Elske Schabort, South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS)
  • Issoufou Aliou, African Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) Zone II and III
The AO Team
  • Anica Manuel Joao Neto Troso, RADO Zone VI
  • Jason Hilton Snyders, RADO Zone VI
  • Mohamed Habib Zaoui, RADO Zone I
  • Nathalie Bashala, WADA
  • Prince Addo Osei, RADO Zone VI
  • Stacy Spletzer-Jegen, WADA
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Friday, 7 December 2018

Huge revisions done to MSSA's Constitution and Regulations.

Amanda Pakade, MSSA president, is responsible for overseeing the changes agreed to at the AGM.
Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) saw its Annual  General Meeting (AGM) being held on 1 December 2018.

There were 13 changes  proposed to amend the Constitution, and 36 proposed changes to the Regulations.

Many of the changes had been discussed from the beginning of 2018 by the Management Board, and such changes were often hotly debated.

The amendments ranged from simple housekeeping, in other words correcting grammar, and so forth, to more far reaching issues such as improved good governance, better selection criteria for the national teams, improved delegation of duties, and better delivery to its members.

Not a single proposed amendment was rejected, and even more surprisingly, the member clubs spoke with a single voice as the motions were all unanimously accepted.

The amendments shall be further discussed in future blogs, and it should be noted that the amendments are all designed to make MSSA more streamlined, more competitive, and far more forward thinking.

 Also read:
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Friday, 17 August 2018

It is all about perception.


Less than 25% of players will perform their best at a World Championships.
Emile De Buin of META4MANCE at the recent Esport Africa & Sports Innovation Summit held at Emperor's Palace on 13-14 August 2018, Johannesburg, South Africa, gave a most thought provoking presentation.

There are few who do not know Emile, but for those that do not, Emile has worked in high performance and youth development swimming since 2006. He has produced and assisted national champions as well as swimmers that have represented their national teams at the Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Youth Championships and African Games. He has coached Olympic Gold Medalist, Cameron Van Der Burgh. He has also worked as a strength and conditioning coach. Emile has also represented the South African national swimming team as a coach. He is a certified NLP practitioner and Life Coach.
Many of Emile's statements struck home, and are as applicable to esports as what they are to the more traditional sports.

In essence, even though the event remains the same, the actual meaning of the event may be interpretated differently by those viewing/participating in the event.

This is no doubt the reason why you can find people at an event who love the event, while for others they will find nothing good about it.

Obviously those that win a championship, get awarded a medal, and earn all sorts of accolades will tend to have a very different opinion to the Registered Player who does not win a game.

However, in my opinion, it is not just the final results that colour the opinion of the participants. It is the entire upbringing and conditioning of the person that is far more influential.

It is easy to remain upbeat while you are on top and winning, and a little more difficult to do so when you are taking a pounding and it seems as though very little is going right.

Some may call it 'character', but, in truth, it is all down to mental strength and knowing what your goals are.

It is probably more important to develop mental strength than any other type of strength as without mental strength, a person will just flounder.

It is especially important to have such in mind sports, for those willing to get into the Protea Team and attend IESF World Championships, it is even more important.

Take the opportunity to develop every aspect of your game if you want to be great.
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Sunday, 22 July 2018

eSports Africa Summit 2018 - 13-14 August 2018


Get In The Game!
Emperors Palace
When you picture competitive sports, what do you see? Men and women running around a pristine green field, chasing glory for their team? Or a full stadium of screaming fans, showing their support for the best shooters, strategists, and gamers on the planet?
With fans being spoilt for choice, eSports is rapidly becoming the favoured millennial sport worldwide. With tickets to watch live games selling out seats in stadiums faster than other competitive sports, online streams of tournaments gaining hundreds of millions of viewers (some say that viewership of eSports will match viewership of the FIFA World Cup in the near future) and game developers awarding massive cash prizes to the winners, it is easy to see why.
While these developments might come as no surprise to those in Asia, America and Europe, where does this leave Africa?
Eventus International has identified considerable interest in this emerging international phenomenon, and therefore will be hosting the eSports Africa Summit at Emperors Palace from 13-14 August 2018.
As lightning fast fibre rolls out across the continent, standards of living improve and infrastructure becomes more advanced on the continent, Africa will soon take its place amongst the great gaming nations of the world. Eventus International is there to connect local and international industry professionals – the world’s youngest continent demographically also has biggest potential group of supporters and players in the world.
Register for the eSports Africa Summit now in order to gain practical skills for African gaming sector, and grow your network of media, broadcasters, sportsmen and women, data analysts and high-performance coaches now and more!

To register, contact: 
Tanya Detering
Sales & Marketing Coordinator
Eventus International
Phone: +27733646411


Who Should Attend
  • eSports Federations
  • Clubs and Governing Bodies
  • Software and Game developers
  • Team managers
  • Tournament organisers
  • Game testers
  • Professional players
  • Telecommunication companies
  • Publishers
  • Universities
  • Broadcasters
  • Government
  • Corporate Sponsors



Secure your seat now to hear from these experts:
  1. Johan Van Breda, Co Founder, ZAG Academy
  2. Kyle Wolmarans, Gaming & eSports Specialist, Wunderman SA
  3. Eben Kwecy Hayford. President, Ghana eSports Association (GeSA)
  4. Tonya Khoury, CEO, Acumen Media Management
  5. Chris Heaton, Managing Director, Brand inc, Sportal & eSports Industry
  6. Colin Webster, General Secretary, Mind Sports South Africa
  7. Koen Schobbers, eSports expert, FOX-Sports presenter, pro gamer, speaker & medical student
  8. Goodnews Cadogan, Chief Coaching Officer, The Village Leadership Consulting
  9. Gideon Sam, President, SASCOC
  10. Flip de Bruyn, Vice President, Namibian eSports federation
  11. Evert de Bruyn, Attorney, de Bruyn Attorneys
  12. Marcia Mahlalela, Planning and strategy Manager, SABC Sport
  13. Angelique Ramos, Team Captain. Valkyrie
  14. Alasdair Donaldson, Team Member, VexxedPhoenix
  15. Brad Kirby, Head of Product, Kwese Gamer
  16. Mlondi Mashinini, Co-Founder, GAMES (Global Assembly Marketing eSports)
  17. David Sidenberg, CEO, BMI Sport
  18. Rudi Rebstein, Peak Performance Coach, Rebstein Research Ltd
  19. Daniel Cossi, President, World Esports Consortium
DAY ONE
13 August 2018
09:00   
Registration & Morning Coffee
09:30   
Welcome and opening remarks from the chair
David Sidenberg, CEO, BMI Sport
09:35
Opening Address: Nurturing The Development Of e-Sports In Africa
Gideon Sam, President, SASCOC
10:00    
Panel: Lessons From eSports Champions – How to get started as a Pro Player
  • Angelique Ramos, Team Captain, Valkyrie
  • Alasdair Donaldson, Team Member, VexxedPhoenix
  • Koen Schobbers, eSports expert, FOX-Sports presenter, pro gamer, speaker & medical student
Moderator: Colin Webster, General Secretary, Mind Sports South Africa
11:00   
Coffee Break
11:30   
Presentation: Becoming a Recognized Club In South Africa
Colin Webster, General Secretary, Mind Sports South Africa
12:00   
Panel: Sustaining The Business Of eSports
  • Johan Van Breda, Co Founder, ZAG Academy
  • Eben Kwecy Hayford. President, Ghana eSports Association (GeSA)
  • Kyle Wolmarans, Gaming & eSports Specialist, Wunderman SA
  • Chris Heaton, Managing Director, Brand inc, Sportal & eSports Industry
  • Evert de Bruyn, Attorney, de Bruyn Attorneys
Moderator: David Sidenberg, CEO, BMI Sport
13:00  
Lunch
14:00   
Presentation: How To Be A Team Player – Team Management Tips for Gaming Industry Leaders
Goodnews Cadogan, Chief Coaching Officer, The Village Leadership Consulting

14:30   
Panel: Social Diversity in eSports
  • Flip de Bruyn, Vice President, Namibian eSports federation
  • Angelique Ramos, Team Captain, Valkyrie
  • Eben Kwecy Hayford. President, Ghana eSports Association (GeSA)
  • Koen Schobbers, eSports expert, FOX-Sports presenter, pro gamer, speaker & medical student
Moderator: Colin Webster, General Secretary, Mind Sports South Africa

15:30   
Coffee Break
16:00   
Panel: Analysing the ROI of Advertising and sponsorship of eSports
  • Kyle Wolmarans, Gaming & eSports Specialist, Wunderman SA
  • Chris Heaton, Managing Director, Brand inc, Sportal & eSports Industry
  • Mlondi Mashinini, Co-Founder, GAMES (Global Assembly Marketing eSports)
  • Daniel Cossi, President, World Esports Consortium (tbc)
Moderator: Tonya Khoury, CEO, Acumen Media Management

17:00   
Closing Remarks From The Chair
David Sidenberg, CEO, BMI Sport
17:05   

End of Day One

DAY TWO
14 August 2018

09:00   
Registration & Morning Coffee
09:30   
Welcome and Opening Remarks From The Chair
David Sidenberg, CEO, BMI Sport
09:35   
Presentation: Social Acceptance of Esport as a Sport - Has Africa Accepted it yet?
Rudi Rebstein, Peak Performance Coach, Rebstein Research Ltd
10:00   
Panel:  How Pro Players Can Work Together With Developers To Make Better Games
  • Angelique Ramos, Team Captain, Valkyrie
  • Alasdair Donaldson, Team Member, VexxedPhoenix
  • Koen Schobbers, eSports expert, FOX-Sports presenter, pro gamer, speaker & medical student
  • Daniel Cossi, President, World Esports Consortium (tbc)
Moderator: Kyle Wolmarans, Gaming & eSports Specialist, Wunderman SA
11:00   
Coffee Break
11:30  

Presentation: All Things Legal in eSports
Evert de Bruyn, Attorney, de Bruyn Attorneys

12:00   
Panel: Broadcasting and Media Coverage Of eSports Events – Online VS T.V
  • Chris Heaton, Managing Director, Brand inc, Sportal & eSports Industry
  • Koen Schobbers, eSports expert, FOX-Sports presenter, pro gamer, speaker & medical student
  • Kyle Wolmarans, Gaming & eSports Specialist, Wunderman SA
  • Marcia Mahlalela, Planning and strategy Manager, SABC Sport
  • Brad Kirby, Head of Product, Kwese Gamer
  • Mlondi Mashinini, Co-Founder, GAMES (Global Assembly Marketing eSports)
Moderator: Tonya Khoury, CEO, Acumen Media Management

 13:00   

 Lunch

 14:00   

 Presentation: Training South Africa’s eSports Champions of Tomorrow

 Johan Van Breda, Co Founder, ZAG Academy

 14:30   

 Panel: eSports At The Olympics: The Future Of Gaming And Sports
  • Eben Kwecy Hayford. President, Ghana eSports Association (GeSA)
  • Colin Webster, General Secretary, Mind Sports South Africa
  • Gideon Sam, President, SASCOC
  • Daniel Cossi, President, World Esports Consortium (tbc)
Moderator: Evert de Bruyn, Attorney, de Bruyn Attorneys

 15:30   

 Coffee Break

 16:00   

 Panel: Looking to the future of eSports – What needs to be done for Africa to succeed
  • Colin Webster, General Secretary, Mind Sports South Africa
  • Gideon Sam, President, SASCOC
  • Eben Kwecy Hayford. President, Ghana eSports Association (GeSA)
  • Flip de Bruyn, Vice President, Namibian eSports federation
Moderator: Johan Van Breda, Co Founder, ZAG Academy

17:00
Closing Remarks From The Chair
David Sidenberg, CEO, BMI Sport
17:05
End of conference
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