"Despite the documented evidence of chess historian H.J.R. Murray, I have always thought that chess was invented by a goddess." George Koltanowski, from Women in Chess, Players of the Modern Game
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Thursday, December 11, 2008
Article from Mmegi Online
December 11, 2008
Keinyatse's fools mate
MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer
If it was a tournament, Boitumelo Keinyatse would have suffered several fool's checkmates after the chain of blunders he has made as Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) president.
Last week, he suffered ultimate humiliation when he was suspended by his own committee because he was implicated in the theft of a motor vehicle spare wheel at Yarona Country Lodge (YCL), one of the sponsors of BCF tournaments. The secondary school teacher is said to have colluded with a YCL worker to get the spare wheel in August. The worker has since been fired after the matter was reported to the police.The incident saw YCL terminate a sponsorship with BCF.
It is not just the stolen spare wheel at the lodge that is keeping Keinyatse's head spinning. BCF officials have told Mmegi Sport that with two weeks left before submission of audited books to the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC), the BCF's accounts remain in disarray.
"I am willing to be quoted on this one. The BNSC is very strict on this issue. They do not allocate funds to a sports code with no audited books. My fear is once the BNSC is forced to take that route, it is usually for a period of five years, and chess will suffer because of this," said BCF official Alex Mpuisang.
Since Keinyatse and his committee took over, the BCF has failed to organise annual coaching workshops that are usually conducted during school holidays. The tradition has been to host such events twice a year.
The African Junior Championships in Gauteng, South Africa takes place on December 28 but the Botswana team has not been announced. Besides, questions abound about BCF funds given to BCF secretary Kefilwe Miti to pay a coach that was supposed to train the Botswana Olympiad team.
Miti who took the money to Germany maintains that a certain Peter Long was hired to coach the team. He told Mmegi Sport last week that they engaged the expert hence the improvement of the Botswana teams. However, last Friday, top player Phemelo Khetho told Mmegi Sport that they had no coach in Germany.
Another top player who represented Botswana at the Olympiad said on condition of anonymity that Long arrived two days after the event started. "He was presented to us as our coach. But we did not think that was the right time to have a new coach, considering that we were in the middle of the tournament. He did not coach us (men). I understand among the women, only Gorata Sebetso was willing to work with Long," the player said.
The chess community is also unhappy that after the team did so well at the Olympiad, Keinyatse's committee failed to receive them with pomp and glory. There was no press release from the chess office recognising the country's outstanding performance at the Olympiad.
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