World Draughts-64 Championship 2015 in St. Petersburg

Official logo of the 2015 IDF World Championships

World Draughts-64 Championships 2015 among men and women (Russian and Brazilian version) will be held in St. Petersburg (Russia) from 02 of October (day of arrival) to 11 of October, 2015 (departure day). Organizes of Championship are International Draughts Federation IDF with the support of the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of St. Petersburg and the Ministry of Sports of Russia.

Strongest players of the world from forty-seven countries representing 4 continents: Europe, Asia, Africa and America will take part in the competition.

For the victory in the championship will fight Russian players - the current world champion Nikolay Struchkov and 7-time world champion Gavril Kolesov (both from Yakutia), winner of the World Mind Sports Games 2008 Oleg Dashkov from Samara, multiple world champion, the first world ranking - Sergey Belosheyev (Evpatoriya) and other strongest players. Among them are champions and winners of the world championships in different years Andrey Valyuk (Belarus), Ion Dosca (Moldova), Gennady Shapiro (Germany), Arno Uutma (Estonia), Eugene Kondrachenko (Belarus), as well as young, but already declared themselves players - European champion 2014 Igor Mikhalchenko (Belarus) and 3^rd place of the previous World Championship Vladimir Yegorov (Russia, Tula).

Surprise of the championship can become talented African players - 18-year-old nugget Enock Makoka Banda (Malawi) and experienced Mvaaza Sakala (Zambia), as well as the first number of Jamaica, 26-year-old Andre Thomas. We look forward to the confident game of the multiple champion of Brazil, the winner of World Youth Championships Marcelo Francisco.

In women, the favorite of the tournament is the current World Champion Zhanna Sarshaeva from Russia, Astrakhan. The competition for she will make the world champions in different years Elena Skovitina from Moldova and Julia Makarenkova from Ukraine, European champion 2014 in blitz Sofya Morozova from Russia, Kaluga, rapidly progressing young players - Daria Fedorovich and Vera Hvaschinskaya from Belarus, Nika Leopoldova from St.Petersburg.

Geography of participants in female championships expanding rapidly. In the upcoming championships for the first time try their hand a representative of the South African Andrea Bosch. We hope that the participation of African players in major Draughts-64 competitions will cause a large surge of interest in the draughts sport in Africa and new stars will soon shine on the Draughts horizon!

St. Petersburg has a long Draughts tradition and great experience of the Draughts competitions of the highest level, including the European and World Championships. World Championship 2013 and European Championship 2014, which was held in St. Petersburg, served as a great impetus to the development and promotion of the Draughts on the traditional 64-cell board in the world.

Fans from more than 170 countries around the world watched the events in Draughts-64. We are confident that the time will come when the representatives of all these countries will meet at the largest draughts forum for the Draughts games!

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!"

As in the past when only the MSSA would stand up in SASCOC meetings and vote against unsound policies, it seems as though only the MSSA is speaking out against the Minister's proposed amendments to the Sport and Recreation Act.

In a recent press release by the MSSA, which was also apparently sent directly to the Minister, the MSSA stated:

“In short it is hard to believe that any lawyers actually wrote such amendments.

The grammar is poor, the concepts vague, in places in direct  conflict with the country's constitution, encroaching on the  powers of other legislation and ministries, and at times      totally devoid of any meaningful definitions.

It is safe to say that many International Federations will at least 
baulk at the level of government interference that will be the result of 
these amendments. At the worst, such International Federations will 
cease to have anything to do with South African National Federations 
should these amendments come into play.

Also, as an unexpected outcome of such amendments, whereby both 
administrators and athletes shall be criminalised, I expect here to be a 
mass exodus of both from the sporting arena, which in turn, should shut 
down most of the codes in the country.

Is that really what SRSA wants?

It is thus the MSSA's opinion that the proposed amendments be thrown 
back to the Ministry and reworked.”

It is also believed that the MSSA has sent the comments to each and every National Federation in the country, as well as to SASCOC, in order to make them aware of the changes and to make them aware of the effect that the amendments will have on all sport in South Africa.

So, again, the MSSA like a noble knight upon a white charger, defends the many when those who are far more capable, in terms of manpower, resources, etc., choose to remain silent!

The full MSSA comment on the proposed amendments may be found on http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/The-MSSAs-comment-on-proposed-changes-to-the-national-sports-and-recreation-act-20150727