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Winners of Chess Made Fun Tournament 2015 |
Muhammad Amiruddin Anuar of SMK Taman Setiawangsa exhibited these skills in the annual Chess Made Fun Tournament 2015 in Wangsa Walk Mall and emerged victorious as the champion of the gruelling two-day challenge.
This was no easy feat as there were a staggering 64 contestants from various schools around Wangsa Maju competing for the trophy, double the entries of the previous year.
There were also plenty of distractions as the tournament took place in full view of the public in the mall’s second concourse.
Nevertheless, Amiruddin was not fazed and his efforts were rewarded as he walked away with the Chess Made Fun trophy to loud applause from the crowd.
Noor Azirah Mohd Ansari and Amirul Azri Zukarnain from SMK Wangsa Maju Seksyen 2 shared the limelight as they emerged first and second runners-up, respectively.
While there could only be one champion, the mall made sure that each contestant received a goody bag, hamper, certificate of participation and medal as a token of appreciation for their endeavours.
“We firmly believe in never categorising anyone as a loser which is why, at the end of the day, everyone walks away with something,” said Impact Challenger account manager Sharom Nawi.
The chess tournament was organised by the mall as part of its community-oriented programmes for the recent school holidays.
The first round on April 4 witnessed the 64 contestants battling it out during the elimination rounds to attain a spot in the 32 slots for the finals on April 5.
It saw participation from SMK Taman Setiawangsa, SMJK (C) Chong Hwa, SMK Wangsa Maju Seksyen 2, SMK Taman Sri Rampai and SM Tinggi Setapak.
MSL Properties Sdn Bhd advertising and promotion executive Suzana Ahmad said that obtaining participation was tough as the weekend tournament often clashed with exams and school co-curricular activities.
“We are very pleased with the turnout this year and the response from schools and parents.
“I would like to personally commend each participant for their sportsmanship and determination displayed during the tournament, and to thank the school boards for encouraging their students to participate in the tournament.
“We hope to organise more such tournaments in the future as part of our aim is to contribute to the community,” said Suzana, who represented the mall’s management in presenting the prizes.
According to MSL Properties retail mall general manager Foong Meng Khum, the aim of this tournament was to stimulate the minds of the younger generation while providing an outlet for them to discover a passion that they could excel in.
“Chess can help train the young ones to hone their minds, acquire patience, focus and planning.
“By organising this tournament, we hope to contribute in shaping the minds of our youths who will one day become the leaders of the nation,” he said.
“In view of the tremendous response we received this year, we are definitely making progress.
“We are very pleased to see that more students are eager to take up the challenge and hopefully next year, we’ll get to see even more schools participating in this event,” he added.
Source: The Star Online
