SILCHAR, Oct 2 - While Sulekha Das from India won the best female player award in the first ever open International FIDE Rating Chess Tournament that concluded in Silchar on Monday, upcoming talent Arshiya Das also from India became the best junior player of the tournament. The results and participation of woman chess players � young and old has made Saheli Dhar Barua, the Woman International Master pretty happy.
Talking to The Assam Tribune on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the competition, Barua expressed her happiness by saying, �I am overwhelmed to see such keen interest and love for the sport among women here. A good number of women even 60-year-old ones have participated which is a positive sign in Chess, which still remains a male dominated sport even today. Chess is a battle of the brains and to my mind, it is the only sport where women can directly compete with their male counterpart and I hope someday we shall see women world chess champions,� Barua maintained.
She congratulated Cachar District Chess Association and other associates for hosting such a vital tournament here and mentioned that the event could open new vistas for Northeastern states in the future.
Meanwhile, the Barak Uppotyoka Krira Sangbadik Sanstha has felicitated both Saheli Dhar Barua and grandmaster Dibyendu Barua on the occasion and exchanged ideas for betterment of the game in this region.
