Oatlhotse wins Millionaire Chess ticket
Sport
Oatlhotse Providence has won the Tsogo Sun Millionaire Satellite at Monte Casino Johannesburg. With this victory, Oatlhotse claims the only green ticket from Southern Africa to play at the Millionaire Chess Festival in Las Vegas.
Millionaire Chess announced the Millionaire Chess Global Satellite Qualifiers recently, a series of qualification tournaments that will give chess players from all over the world a chance to fulfill their dream of playing in the highest stakes chess tournament in history.
The satellite events give chess aficionados the opportunity to win entry into the 2nd Millionaire Chess Open which will be held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas from October 8-12, 2015. The prize fund will once again be $1,000,000.
“What a feeling, being is believing. Take passion and make it happen,” was Oatlhotse’s reaction to his victory in South Africa. Oatlhotse, a chess grandmaster has promised to do his best to bring the prize home from Vegas.
The Millionaire Chess Satellite tournament held in South Africa had thrills and spills as the tournament crown and spoils went to blitz tiebreaks after a three-way after regulation. IM Johannes Mabusela of South Africa had led through most of the tournament scoring six wins in a row before taking a short draw with IM Chitumbo Mwali of Zambia. Nevertheless, he was one point ahead of last round opponent IM Providence Oatlhotse with the white pieces. Oatlhotse went on to win ahead of Mabusela and Mwali.
For the Millionaire Chess grand, the satellite qualifiers take place wherever in the world there are organizers with solid histories of running tournaments and promoting chess. MC shares in the vision of building the following of the game worldwide, and to showcase its powerful intellectual benefits to everyone, young and old.
“It is the goal of Millionaire Chess to help bring the game of chess to the masses by elevating its profile as the world's greatest board game. Chess is synonymous with deep planning, foresight and brilliance, and MC believes this brilliance should be rewarded. Chess is played in over 180 countries, and MC wishes to expand that global popularity with exciting events in destination capitals around the globe. The first MCO brought 560 players from 44 different countries. MC hopes to expand that reach to over 80 countries at its next event,” reads a statement on the organisers’ website.
IM Oatlhotse is expected to represent Botswana and himself well in Las Vegas. He has been to a number of international tourneys, the Vegas stage will surely not be too big for him. He is an International Master after all.
Sport
Orange injects P350 000 into Phikwe marathon
Mobile network Orange Botswana is committed to supporting the development of local sport. Through its sponsorship, the company will be able to promote and market the sport. According to Maano Masisi, the company believes that sport can unite people from different backgrounds.
He stated that through the sponsorship of the marathon, the company will help promote healthy lifestyles and unity among the people of Selebi Phikwe.
The Selebi Phikwe Marathon is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2023. It is expected that it will attract international, regional, and social runners. A total of P216 000 has been allocated for the prize money for the first ten places in the 42.2 km race. For the 15km and 10km races, the LOC will give away prizes to the first five places.
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Sport
AFRICA’S RECOVERY: Sports as game changer
The year 2022 witnessed unprecedented phenomena. Several Africans- Gotytom Gebreslase, Sharon Lokedi, Victor Kiplangat, Tamarit Tola and many others- swept the World’s marathons records.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting control measures implemented in several countries, led to many high-level sports competitions being cancelled or shelved, the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games was moved to 2026.
Founder and Executive Chairman, African Sports and Creative Institute, Will Mabiakop, says the inability to hold traditional and amateur sports events have had a serious effect on public health overall, including mental health, sparking a revolution whereby athletes began to talk more openly about stress, mental overload and performance anxiety.
“Africa is home to the fastest growing economies before the crisis, no longer on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). COVID-19 deepened interdependence between SDGs, making them harder to achieve, especially SDG 10 (reducing inequality) and SDG 5 (gender equality_ as the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on poorer countries, and heavier burdens (such as care work) fell to women.”
Mabiakop stresses that as policymakers contemplate actions to speed up recovery and build resilience, they must argue that sports and creative businesses should play a central feature in this effort.
“The sports economy worldwide is estimated at 5% of GDP, but only 0.5% in Africa. If exploited, Africa’s sports and creative industries can offer policymakers innovative solutions. Especially, as regards job creation, and providing employment to the 15 million people entering the job market annually.”
HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY DO THIS?
By leveraging the two-for-one concept: past studies shown that a 1% growth in the economy delivers a 2% job increment in this sector (these ratios are calculated using data from 48 African countries and adjusted to the reality of the sports economy in Africa by the authors). There are between 30 and 50 job types, in sports and creative industries, respectively. These jobs do not fade away with the first major shock.
Mabiakop indicated that policymakers can use these industries to tackle multiple crises- jobs, poverty, and climate risks. Sports diplomacy- defined as communication, representation and negotiation in or through the prism of sports- has proven effective in building inclusive and cohesive societies. Moreover, sports and the creative industry can support better mental health and well-being, both important for productivity.
“Policymakers can also be true to the game by leveraging culture and tradition to celebrate identity and reap commercial value in sports, textiles and jewelry. Creative sectors allow deeper connection with culture, are not easily copied and provide great economic potential.”
He said supporting grassroots sports has powerful distributional effects. “Fortunately, technology has made reaching wide audiences easier, generating higher rates of success when talent is discovered.”
However, Mabiakop held that potential pitfalls must be highlighted. “First avoid build it and they will come policies with infrastructures denuded from the rest of the ecosystem. Like the many sports stadiums left largely unused.”
“Policymakers must remain mindful of how these sectors move the needle in human capital development. Also, align the requisite public policies needed for progress from grassroots participation to professional sports, and even to international sporting events. They should also support investment instruments to render these sectors performant.”