Chessam gives boycotting players their allowances
Chess Association of Malawi (Chessam) has paid allowances to the squad that represented the country at the 2014 Africa Individual Championships in Namibia, including the three players that boycotted the games over the same.
Joseph Nyambalo, Joseph Mwale and Vitumbiko Gondwe came up with the boycott in the sixth round of the nine-round contest in protest of Chessam’s delay to give them the allowances and their action prompted the African Chess Federation to disqualify them.
Although some critics stated that the three should receive reduced allowances as they did not complete their games at the continental showpiece, Chessam treasurer Yohane Misomali, said on Friday they have decided to pay the players in full.
“I cannot comment much on this issue because I got a directive from Chessam president (Kezzie Msukwa) to give the players all their allowances,” he said.
Chessam general secretary Gershom Chima said: “The allowances are not attached to the number of games our flag carriers played at the contest. It was a package that was promised before they travelled to Namibia.”
Nyambalo and Mwale have received K92 500 instead of K100 000 each as they left a K15 000 bill at the Namibian hotel. Gondwe got her full sum.
Mwale, who expressed his excitement at receiving his dues said he is preparing to write a report on what happened in Namibia as per Chessam request.
After the three boycotted the international games, the national team captain Alfred Chimthere proceeded with his participation and finished on position 18 out of over 30 participants with four points.
South Africa’s International Master Solomon Kenny defied all odds to end Egyptians dominance by winning the competition with 7.5 points, the same as Egyptian grandmaster Ahmed Adley, who took the second slot after being separated by a buchholz tie-breaking system.
