Kunle Adelabu
Master Nwakwo Victor and Miss Ogbonna Confidence have emerged champions of the Under – 12 Championships organized by the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS), a socio – cultural and developmental group.
The second edition of the IKODASS Indoor Games Youth Championship, which focused mainly on Chess game, took place at the Dreamland, RHODAS Centre, 51, Abiodun Ogunleye Street, Solomade, Ikorodu, on Tuesday, December 18, 2021.
The first edition of the youth championship was held in September, featuring Chess, Scrabble, Snooker and Table Tennis.
A total of 59 participants (38 female and 21 male) registered and took part in the competition which also accommodated entries from other parts of Lagos State.
Nwakwo Victor, who emerged winner in the male category, was second in the first edition of the tournament, while Miss Ogbona Confidence, who defeated other female participants, also came second in the first edition of the tournament.
Aside from being decorated with gold medals, both winners went home with Atouch X11 Tablet PC and school bag each. They were also presented with six branded exercise books each.
Master Andu Jonah and Miss Olukoya Odunayo who came second in the male and female categories respectively, were each presented with silver medal, big chess board, school bag and six branded exercise books.
Also, each of the second runners-up in the two categories, Master Ogunsanya Ifeoluwa and Miss Sunday Chinonso, received bronze medal, medium size chess board, school bag and six branded exercise books.
Incidentally, Miss Chinonso won the female category in the September edition of the tournament.
Each of the two youngest participants in the championship was presented with a textbook on chess and branded exercise books.
Other participants were also presented with at least two branded exercise books each.
All the participants were provided with certificates of participation.
Mr Rotimi Erogbogbo, Chairman, Ikorodu – Oga development Association (IKODASS), said that the tournament was in fulfillment of the association’s pledge that young people in Ikorodu would continually be positively engaged.
“This is a fulfillment of our promise that we will have the edition of the IKODASS Indoor Games Youth Championship that we held around September this year”, he said.
“We are not just doing this for entertainment, but to create a new society of young champions; we want to bring out our young people and make them to be committed to a cause positively at this formative age of their lives, hence, the hosting of the U – 12 championship.
“We are training them for what they will be confronting in the next 15 years which sports and indoor games in particular would be part of”.
Erogbogbo also said that engaging young people in sports like chess, which is time and intellectually engaging, will take their attention away from social vices.
He added that the tournament was also aimed at bringing back family ties where parents have time to be with their children and wards.
“We are also doing this to change their focus from drugs and bad gangs. We want to shift their attention and redirect it to things that are engaging. We want to open their minds to things that are challenging and get them busy”, the IKODASS Chairman said.
“It will also help them in their education since chess is a very serious, committed and intellectual game which requires intelligence.
“We also want to use the opportunity to address their parents on the need to allow their children engage in competitive sports and also the need to revive old family life when parents find time to be with their children “, he added.
The IKODASS chairman said that with the attendance recorded, the championship has now been expanded to accommodate participants from the Southwest, adding that it will be bigger and better.
“With this tournament, we are now expanding our horizon beyond Ikorodu to make it Southwest Chess Championship because of the entries. By the time we return for another edition in March next year, we will be accommodating more participants from Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti”, he said.
The Secretary General, IKODASS, Mr Abolaji Oluwaseun Elesho, also speaking with our reporter, said that the primary aim is to shift the attention of children to positive engagements and prepare them for situations that will make them think deeply.
“We are engaging our children so that they will not engage in other social vices but chess which is a game that usually consumes time and commitment”, he said.
“We need to do this especially during this period that they are at home. So, we have put this together to bring them together and engage them with their parents in attendance.
“Aside that some of them will emerge as champions, we also want them to play and enjoy themselves. They will also learn so that when they are competing, those that are unable to win would have to learn more moves too.
“We are also concentrating on chess to broaden their minds so that they develop the capacities to think when they are confronted with challenges”, he said.
Mr Oyeleye Lawale, a National Chess Arbiter arbitrated the championship with support of other instructors.
In attendance at the tournament were Mr Roland Dieyi, Candidate Master, Mr Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hakeem, FIDE Master and Mr Koya Stephen, a veteran chess player.
