18 Schools Set for 7th PwC Chess4Change Tourney

The stage is for the seventh edition of PwC Chess4Change championship for secondary schools in Lagos State. The championship, according to the organisers, MediaVision Ltd, is for between June 3 and September 30 this year.

The organisers added that 18 public secondary schools had been drawn from across four educational districts in state for the annual chess fiesta.

The participating schools are: Birrel Avenue Senior High School; Eva Adelaja Girls Senior Secondary School, Bariga; Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maryland; CMS Girls Senior School, Bariga; Ireti Senior Grammar School, Ikoyi; Eko Akete Grammar School, Lagos Island; Wahab Folawiyo Senior High, Osborne; Falomo Senior High School, Ikoyi. Others are Kuramo Senior Secondary School, Victoria Island; Government Senior, Victoria Island; New Era Senior Secondary School, Surulere, Government Senior College, Eric Moore; Jubilee Model Senior Grammar School, Iganmu; Sari Iganmu Senior Secondary School, Orile; Euba Junior Secondary School, Mushin; Unity Junior High School, Oshodi and Eko Boys High School, Mushin.

In a press briefing to launch this year’s edition, the Chairman Lagos Chess Association, Tokunbo Lagun, said chess was one way of keeping school children away from the streets, expressing that the game had really helped in mentoring the students for leadership positions.

In her remarks, representatives of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mrs. Oluwasanmi Olaide noted that school sports was the bedrock of sports development saying that the game of chess not only develop the students to be great sports men and women but also help develop them to be great entrepreneurs.

“Chess brings about great thinkers which is one of the vibes of Lagos State. Education and sports complement each other,” she said.

The Country Operations Partner, PricewaterhouseCooper, Mr. Pedro Omontuenhen said the competition was organised to impact positively on the academics and social life of the students. “We believe chess help improve the cognitive development of the students and also prevent them from various social vices. And this has made us to remain committed to bankroll this competition every year. “On this note, I want to urge the students to tap into this opportunity and grab it with both hands,” he stated.

Participating students are expected to undergo tutelage, mentorship process before the grand slam later in the year. Meanwhile, novelty game, chess in slum versus Chess4Change, facilitators and students have also been lined up.