A laaitie from Leonsdale is making his community proud as he gears up to represent the Western Province at the South African Junior Chess Championships.
Tezihano Mnyatsa, 13, will fly to Johannesburg on Friday where he will compete against some of the best players in the country in the hope of bringing home a gold medal.
The excited Grade 6 pupil from Elswood Primary School says he started playing two years ago when his ouma, Sharon, visited the Leonsdale Civic Centre.
“We live in 16th Avenue and we used to play in the street, but there are lots of gangsters who shoot any time and my ouma did not want me to be in the street so she brought me here and we met my coach, Uncle Sakkie [Isaac Kay],” he says.
Ward councillor Franchesca Walker says a City official named Ricardo Speelman opened a room at the Civic Centre after he saw how many children were interested.
“Now they come every afternoon where Uncle Sakkie teaches them for free,” Walker says. “He is disabled and in a wheelchair, but he still gives so much back to the community.”
SUPPORTING ACT : Ward councillor Franchesca Walker, Tezihano, Ricardo Speelman and coach Isaac Kay
After only playing chess for a few months, Tezihano entered a competition held at Elsies River High School in December 2016, but did not do well.
“I wanted to win so I came back every day after school and on Saturdays and in June last year, I won my first tournament and even beat my own captain,” says the determined teen. “I also joined the Elsies River Chess Club and now I compete regularly.”
In March, he took part in Western Province trials and came second, and was selected to go to the national championships.
Walker says the community helped raise the R11 000 needed for the trip.
“He also received lots of donations like from Vollenhoven Fashions in Halt Road that sponsored T-shirts. His WP tracksuit arrived this week and the community is very proud of him,” she says.
“In his honour, we are now starting the Leonsdale Chess Club, which we are registering as an NPO and Uncle Sakkie will run it.”