This edition of the junior championships will see a new winner crowned after defending champion Ravi Bhavsar was unable to confirm his participation.

 

Fiji Chess Federation Dr Virgilio De Asa mentioned that the tournament will be a milestone in the relationship between the sponsors FMF and the sporting body as $1000 is provided for the event which is primarily for juniors (twenty years and below).

 

This is the most sponsorship provided for junior chess in Fiji and we plan to use it for the development and promotion of the sport in Fiji, he added.

 

Winners will be announced in several age categories including U20, U18, U16, U14 and U12. There will also be prizes for best secondary/primary schools student.

 

Apart from this the winner of the National Junior Championships will be offered a position in the Nationals in November.

 

Top seed and favorite for the event will be USP student Gaurav Raicar who will have an uphill task against the likes of Pramisesh Premadish, Ryan Jay Prakash, Wayne Areki and Dhiraj Chand.

 

Hilda Vukikimoala will be the top female and is likely to face stiff competition from Esha Raicar, Wati Kado and Claudia Koroi.

 

Fiji Chess Federation development officers Gloria Sukhu and Krishneel Nair have been busy at work promoting the event at the schools level and within the Junior Development Squad with intial reactions indicating a large turnout expected.

 

The event is a premier local chess tournament for Juniors and past winners have gone on to do very well in both the local/international chess scene. FMF sponsorship will defintely see the emergence of the next chess prodigy from Fiji.