Is This Still Soccer?
In Massachusetts, rules changes brought on by the pandemic — no contact, no tackles, no headers, no throw-ins — are forcing soccer players and coaches to adapt to a very different game.
You’re still not allowed to touch the ball with your hands.
But in many other important ways, the soccer being played by Massachusetts high schools this fall differs significantly in shape and form from the soccer known and played around the rest of the world.
No physical contact. No slide tackles. No headers. No throw-ins. Six feet of distance between players is required whenever play is restarted — in other words, no walls or close marking on free kicks. And to top things off, everyone on the field must wear a mask at all times.
Sports leagues across the country, from youth leagues to the pros, are implementing safety protocols this fall to try to play games amid the coronavirus pandemic. Some guidelines, on things like sharing water bottles or high-fiving or locker room use, are common sense in the coronavirus era. Others are more extreme: In Vermont, for example, high schools are playing seven-on-seven football this year, and volleyball matches are moving from indoor gyms to outdoor courts.
But few have taken things as far as the state of Massachusetts, which unveiled its unusual rules for soccer on the eve of what is shaping up to be one of the strangest high school sports seasons in memory.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/spor ... 778d3e6de3
Sports related issues
Diego Maradona, One of Soccer’s Greatest Players, Is Dead at 60
He was ranked with Pelé among the best, and his ability to surprise and startle won over fans and even critics. But his excesses and addictions darkened his legacy.
Diego Maradona, the Argentine who became a national hero as one of soccer’s greatest players, performing with a roguish cunning and extravagant control while pursuing a personal life rife with drug and alcohol abuse and health problems, died on Wednesday in Tigre, Argentina, in Buenos Aires Province. He was 60.
His spokesman, Sebastián Sanchi, said the cause was a heart attack. Maradona had undergone brain surgery several weeks ago.
News of the death brought an outpouring of mourning and remembrance in Argentina, becoming virtually the sole topic of conversation. Such was his stature — in 2000, FIFA, soccer’s governing body, voted him and Pelé of Brazil the sport’s two greatest players — that the government declared three days of national mourning.
At Maradona’s feet, the ball seemed to obey his command like a pet. (He was said to do with an orange what others could only do with a ball.) And he played with a kind of brilliant camouflage, seeming to be somnolent for long stretches before asserting himself at urgent moments with a mesmerizing dribble, astounding pass or stabbing shot.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/spor ... 778d3e6de3
He was ranked with Pelé among the best, and his ability to surprise and startle won over fans and even critics. But his excesses and addictions darkened his legacy.
Diego Maradona, the Argentine who became a national hero as one of soccer’s greatest players, performing with a roguish cunning and extravagant control while pursuing a personal life rife with drug and alcohol abuse and health problems, died on Wednesday in Tigre, Argentina, in Buenos Aires Province. He was 60.
His spokesman, Sebastián Sanchi, said the cause was a heart attack. Maradona had undergone brain surgery several weeks ago.
News of the death brought an outpouring of mourning and remembrance in Argentina, becoming virtually the sole topic of conversation. Such was his stature — in 2000, FIFA, soccer’s governing body, voted him and Pelé of Brazil the sport’s two greatest players — that the government declared three days of national mourning.
At Maradona’s feet, the ball seemed to obey his command like a pet. (He was said to do with an orange what others could only do with a ball.) And he played with a kind of brilliant camouflage, seeming to be somnolent for long stretches before asserting himself at urgent moments with a mesmerizing dribble, astounding pass or stabbing shot.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/spor ... 778d3e6de3
Kieron Pollard HITS Six Sixes in an Over!! | West Indies vs Sri Lanka | 1st CG Insurance T20I - YouTube
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOjFPJ19Gq4
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOjFPJ19Gq4
The Deepest Diver in the History of Free Diving Goes Below the Ice
For the past four years, Alexey Molchanov has been the undisputed best all-around free diver in the world. He broke yet another world record last week, this time beneath an icy surface.
Watch video and photos at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/spor ... 778d3e6de3
When the champion free diver and multiple world-record holder Alexey Molchanov stepped onto the streaked ice on Lake Baikal in southern Siberia on March 16, the sky was cobalt blue. The sun illuminated the surrounding mountains, the wind was light, and the air a balmy 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 10 Celsius).
It was the perfect day for a swim.
But this wasn’t the typical polar bear plunge. Molchanov, 34, hoped to swim 80 meters, or approximately 262 feet, beneath the one-meter-thick icy surface and back up on a single breath. In the process, he would break yet another world record: the deepest free dive under the ice with fins.
Dressed in a thick, blue wet suit and gloves, he slid into a monofin then slipped into a square, 3 meters by 3 meters, cut in the ice, where he clipped onto a thin rope that disappeared into the inky water.
He deployed a technique that his mother, Natalia Molchanova, the most decorated free diver of all time, first developed and taught, and Molchanov has taken worldwide. She called it deconcentration. Instead of taking in the scene, he detached from it, both visually and psychologically.
He focused on taking long, deep, rhythmic breaths until his heart rate slowed and he entered a meditative state. Then he sipped the air through pursed lips until his lungs were fully inflated, from his diaphragm to the tiny air pockets between and behind his shoulder blades. Finally, he ducked below the surface, and disappeared.
Nearly 100 spectators and a throng of Russian news media waited on the surface above him.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/spor ... 778d3e6de3
For the past four years, Alexey Molchanov has been the undisputed best all-around free diver in the world. He broke yet another world record last week, this time beneath an icy surface.
Watch video and photos at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/spor ... 778d3e6de3
When the champion free diver and multiple world-record holder Alexey Molchanov stepped onto the streaked ice on Lake Baikal in southern Siberia on March 16, the sky was cobalt blue. The sun illuminated the surrounding mountains, the wind was light, and the air a balmy 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 10 Celsius).
It was the perfect day for a swim.
But this wasn’t the typical polar bear plunge. Molchanov, 34, hoped to swim 80 meters, or approximately 262 feet, beneath the one-meter-thick icy surface and back up on a single breath. In the process, he would break yet another world record: the deepest free dive under the ice with fins.
Dressed in a thick, blue wet suit and gloves, he slid into a monofin then slipped into a square, 3 meters by 3 meters, cut in the ice, where he clipped onto a thin rope that disappeared into the inky water.
He deployed a technique that his mother, Natalia Molchanova, the most decorated free diver of all time, first developed and taught, and Molchanov has taken worldwide. She called it deconcentration. Instead of taking in the scene, he detached from it, both visually and psychologically.
He focused on taking long, deep, rhythmic breaths until his heart rate slowed and he entered a meditative state. Then he sipped the air through pursed lips until his lungs were fully inflated, from his diaphragm to the tiny air pockets between and behind his shoulder blades. Finally, he ducked below the surface, and disappeared.
Nearly 100 spectators and a throng of Russian news media waited on the surface above him.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/spor ... 778d3e6de3
The Ismaili eChess Cup
It is with great excitement that Youth & Sports brings you “The Ismaili eChess Cup”! This game has become a huge cultural phenomenon and this initiative aims to bring together Jamati members from around the world to engage in a friendly competition to challenge the mind and build new friendships globally.
Portuguese
The tournament starts in May and ends in July.
Three categories are open to competition:
Junior up to 16 years old;
Adult over 16 years old;
Teams of 4 players.
Whether you are a beginner, an intermediate or an advanced player, join the chess tournament!
Register now here https://the.ismaili/esports.
Also, if you don't know how to play chess and want to learn, here is your opportunity to do so! Sign up with:
Sarah Karina (915 533 643)
Rafik Nizarali (927 621 532)
It is with great excitement that Youth & Sports brings you “The Ismaili eChess Cup”! This game has become a huge cultural phenomenon and this initiative aims to bring together Jamati members from around the world to engage in a friendly competition to challenge the mind and build new friendships globally.
Portuguese
The tournament starts in May and ends in July.
Three categories are open to competition:
Junior up to 16 years old;
Adult over 16 years old;
Teams of 4 players.
Whether you are a beginner, an intermediate or an advanced player, join the chess tournament!
Register now here https://the.ismaili/esports.
Also, if you don't know how to play chess and want to learn, here is your opportunity to do so! Sign up with:
Sarah Karina (915 533 643)
Rafik Nizarali (927 621 532)
Cricket-IPL suspended due to COVID-19, foreign players fret over return
NEW DELHI, May 4 (Reuters) – The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday due to the COVID-19 crisis in the country, leaving many international players with major concerns over how they will return home.
The organising Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the league’s governing council members convened an emergency meeting at which they decided to suspend the tournament with immediate effect.
The BCCI had forged ahead with the league despite fierce criticism for staging it in a country where coronavirus infections surged past 20 million on Tuesday.
“These are difficult times, especially in India, and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times,” the league said in a statement.
“The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.”
The eight-team IPL, with an estimated brand value of $6.8 billion, is the richest Twenty20 league and attracts many of the best players from around the world to cricket-crazy India.
As many as 57 foreign players, including 14 Australians, are currently stuck in India along with dozens of support staff.
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel told Reuters it was too early to say when the league, originally scheduled to culminate in a May 30 final in Ahmedabad, could resume.
“We are looking for another window,” Patel said by telephone. “Right now we can’t say when we can reschedule it.”
A suspension looked almost inevitable after Monday’s game in Ahmedabad had to be postponed after two Kolkata Knight Riders players tested positive for COVID-19.
Two non-playing members of Chennai Super Kings also contracted the virus in Delhi, prompting questions about the robustness of the league’s bio-bubble arrangements.
The abrupt suspension left foreign players, including England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and Australia’s Steve Smith and David Warner, with a major headache.
TRAVEL ISSUES
Australia has banned all arrivals from India until May 15 and England has added India to its travel “red” list.
In a letter to the franchises last month, the league assured them they would discuss the foreign players’ travel arrangements with the Indian government.
Cricket Australia declined to comment when asked if it had any plans to try and bring its players home.
Hours before the league was suspended, the Australian Cricketers’ Association said it would talk to the Australian government about the players’ travel plans.
Australian players Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson cut short their IPL stints to return home last week.
Former Australia test batsman Michael Slater, now working as a commentator, strongly criticised the Australian government for its decision to ban citizens in COVID-ravaged India from returning home, saying Prime Minister Scott Morrison has “blood” on his hands.
Morrison dismissed Slater’s criticism as “absurd” on a TV talk show on Tuesday.
“What we’re doing here is we’ve got a temporary pause in place because we’ve seen a rapid escalation in the infection rate in people who have travelled out of India,” Morrison said on the Nine Network.
The IPL’s suspension also casts doubt on this year’s Twenty20 World Cup which is scheduled to take place in India in October-November.
The global showpiece tournament could be shifted to the United Arab Emirates if the COVID-19 crisis in India does not ease, a BCCI official said last week.
(Additional reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; editing by Ed Osmond)
https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/cricket ... ee9d77dc9f
NEW DELHI, May 4 (Reuters) – The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday due to the COVID-19 crisis in the country, leaving many international players with major concerns over how they will return home.
The organising Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the league’s governing council members convened an emergency meeting at which they decided to suspend the tournament with immediate effect.
The BCCI had forged ahead with the league despite fierce criticism for staging it in a country where coronavirus infections surged past 20 million on Tuesday.
“These are difficult times, especially in India, and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times,” the league said in a statement.
“The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.”
The eight-team IPL, with an estimated brand value of $6.8 billion, is the richest Twenty20 league and attracts many of the best players from around the world to cricket-crazy India.
As many as 57 foreign players, including 14 Australians, are currently stuck in India along with dozens of support staff.
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel told Reuters it was too early to say when the league, originally scheduled to culminate in a May 30 final in Ahmedabad, could resume.
“We are looking for another window,” Patel said by telephone. “Right now we can’t say when we can reschedule it.”
A suspension looked almost inevitable after Monday’s game in Ahmedabad had to be postponed after two Kolkata Knight Riders players tested positive for COVID-19.
Two non-playing members of Chennai Super Kings also contracted the virus in Delhi, prompting questions about the robustness of the league’s bio-bubble arrangements.
The abrupt suspension left foreign players, including England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and Australia’s Steve Smith and David Warner, with a major headache.
TRAVEL ISSUES
Australia has banned all arrivals from India until May 15 and England has added India to its travel “red” list.
In a letter to the franchises last month, the league assured them they would discuss the foreign players’ travel arrangements with the Indian government.
Cricket Australia declined to comment when asked if it had any plans to try and bring its players home.
Hours before the league was suspended, the Australian Cricketers’ Association said it would talk to the Australian government about the players’ travel plans.
Australian players Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson cut short their IPL stints to return home last week.
Former Australia test batsman Michael Slater, now working as a commentator, strongly criticised the Australian government for its decision to ban citizens in COVID-ravaged India from returning home, saying Prime Minister Scott Morrison has “blood” on his hands.
Morrison dismissed Slater’s criticism as “absurd” on a TV talk show on Tuesday.
“What we’re doing here is we’ve got a temporary pause in place because we’ve seen a rapid escalation in the infection rate in people who have travelled out of India,” Morrison said on the Nine Network.
The IPL’s suspension also casts doubt on this year’s Twenty20 World Cup which is scheduled to take place in India in October-November.
The global showpiece tournament could be shifted to the United Arab Emirates if the COVID-19 crisis in India does not ease, a BCCI official said last week.
(Additional reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; editing by Ed Osmond)
https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/cricket ... ee9d77dc9f
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TaylorRoux
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon May 10, 2021 7:50 am
Paralympic Sports
I`m really inspired by a history of Karoly Takacs. He was the first shooter to win two Olympic gold medals in the 25 metre rapid fire pistol event, both with his left hand after his right hand was seriously injured. He is the third known physically disabled athlete to have competed in the Olympic Games after George Eyser in 1904 and Olivér Halassy in 1928. During army training in 1938, his right hand was badly injured when a faulty grenade exploded. Takács was determined to continue his shooting career, and switched to shooting with his left hand. He practiced in secret, surprising his countrymen when he won the Hungarian national pistol shooting championship in the spring of 1939. He also was a member of the Hungarian team that won the 1939 UIT World Shooting Championships in the event. The Olympic Games scheduled for 1940 and 1944 were canceled due to the Second World War. However, Takács surprised the world by winning the gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, aged 38, beating the favourite, Argentine Carlos Enrique Díaz Sáenz Valiente, the reigning world champion. Valiente had approached Takács before the event and had asked him what was he doing there (having heard about his accident). His reply was that he was there to learn, setting a world record. Valiente later congratulated him, saying you have learned enough. Although most associated with the rapid fire pistol, Takács also won a bronze medal at the 1958 ISSF World Shooting Championships in 25 metre center-fire pistol. He also won 35 Hungarian national shooting championships.
After his shooting career, Takács became a coach. He trained Hungarian Szilárd Kun, who won the silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He ended his army career as a lieutenant colonel.
This incredible story inspired me to go through all dificulties in my work (gambling industry), if someone interested in gambling sphere, you can contact me here or visit my website https://clashofslots.com
After his shooting career, Takács became a coach. He trained Hungarian Szilárd Kun, who won the silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He ended his army career as a lieutenant colonel.
This incredible story inspired me to go through all dificulties in my work (gambling industry), if someone interested in gambling sphere, you can contact me here or visit my website https://clashofslots.com
A Sports Event Shouldn’t Be a Superspreader. Cancel the Olympics.
The Tokyo Olympics are in big trouble. Postponed by a year and slated to begin in July, the Olympics have become a political flash point in Japan, where almost 60 percent of the population opposes staging the Games this summer and where less than 2 percent of the population is vaccinated for Covid-19.
The International Olympic Committee, local Olympic organizers and Japan’s ruling party maintain that the Games must go on, even amid pandemic conditions. As Covid cases surged in Japan in January, Thomas Bach, the I.O.C.’s president, said he had “no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on July 23.” He added, “There is no Plan B.”
For many spectators, what is most alluring about the Olympics is their audacious impracticality, with thousands of athletes from many sports coming together from around the world to compete in one place. However, during a global public health crisis, this has potentially lethal consequences.
It’s time to listen to science and halt the dangerous charade: The Tokyo Olympics must be canceled.
And yet, the Olympic steamroller rumbles forward. There are three main reasons: money, money and money. And let’s be clear: Most of that money trickles up, not to athletes but to those who manage, broadcast and sponsor the Games.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/11/opin ... 778d3e6de3
The Tokyo Olympics are in big trouble. Postponed by a year and slated to begin in July, the Olympics have become a political flash point in Japan, where almost 60 percent of the population opposes staging the Games this summer and where less than 2 percent of the population is vaccinated for Covid-19.
The International Olympic Committee, local Olympic organizers and Japan’s ruling party maintain that the Games must go on, even amid pandemic conditions. As Covid cases surged in Japan in January, Thomas Bach, the I.O.C.’s president, said he had “no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on July 23.” He added, “There is no Plan B.”
For many spectators, what is most alluring about the Olympics is their audacious impracticality, with thousands of athletes from many sports coming together from around the world to compete in one place. However, during a global public health crisis, this has potentially lethal consequences.
It’s time to listen to science and halt the dangerous charade: The Tokyo Olympics must be canceled.
And yet, the Olympic steamroller rumbles forward. There are three main reasons: money, money and money. And let’s be clear: Most of that money trickles up, not to athletes but to those who manage, broadcast and sponsor the Games.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/11/opin ... 778d3e6de3
Why We Hold Olympic Athletes to Such Ridiculous and Cruel Standards
Sha’Carri Richardson, the 21-year-old American sprinter whose breakout victory in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. track and field Olympic trials in Oregon last month transformed her into an overnight star, posted a plaintive message on Twitter on Thursday afternoon: “I am human.”
What she was referring to became clear when news broke that the United States Anti-Doping Agency was suspending her for a month, after she tested positive for marijuana. Ms. Richardson says she used the drug after a reporter told her about the death of her biological mother. (Recreational marijuana is legal in the state of Oregon, where she was at the time.) Now, she’s out of the 100-meter dash at the Tokyo Olympics.
In her tweet, Ms. Richardson pointed out the obvious, and yet it needed to be said: She is human. Olympians are capable of superhuman feats of athleticism — but does that mean we must punish them when they prove to be fallible like the rest of us, after all?
Sometimes it seems that way. The best athletes in the world are already under extraordinary pressure to perform — but we require extraordinary conduct from them in parts of their lives that have nothing to do with their sports.
Of course, marijuana is a banned substance. Athletes are responsible for everything they put in their bodies, and for ensuring they comply with the rules. Ms. Richardson knew it might jeopardize her Olympic future.
“I’m not making an excuse or looking for any empathy,” Ms. Richardson told the “Today” show Friday morning, as she apologized to her fans, her family and her sponsors. She acknowledged that the news of her mother’s death had thrown her, and explained the pressure of having to “go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain.” She added, “I know that I can’t hide myself, so at least in some type of way I was just trying to hide my pain.”
It is devastating to think of the lengths that our best athletes go to handle their pain. Tiger Woods, who tested positive for marijuana, pain medications and sleep drugs when he was arrested for driving under the influence in 2017, said he was suffering from insomnia and pain from his fourth back operation. Suzy Favor Hamilton, the nine-time N.C.A.A. champion, suffered from depression after she retired from her athletic career; it led to scandal following the revelation that she’d been working as an escort. Olympian Raven Saunders talked recently about wanting to drive off the road two years after the 2016 Olympics. Michael Phelps has been public about his mental health struggles for years. (A photo of him smoking marijuana was published in 2009; he lost a sponsorship from Kellogg’s.)
We don’t just expect our Olympians to be incredible athletes. We expect them to be role models and to adhere to impossibly high levels of self-discipline, work ethics, and sportsmanship that have nothing to do with their actual job. Women, especially women of color, face even higher expectations.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/opin ... 778d3e6de3
Sha’Carri Richardson, the 21-year-old American sprinter whose breakout victory in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. track and field Olympic trials in Oregon last month transformed her into an overnight star, posted a plaintive message on Twitter on Thursday afternoon: “I am human.”
What she was referring to became clear when news broke that the United States Anti-Doping Agency was suspending her for a month, after she tested positive for marijuana. Ms. Richardson says she used the drug after a reporter told her about the death of her biological mother. (Recreational marijuana is legal in the state of Oregon, where she was at the time.) Now, she’s out of the 100-meter dash at the Tokyo Olympics.
In her tweet, Ms. Richardson pointed out the obvious, and yet it needed to be said: She is human. Olympians are capable of superhuman feats of athleticism — but does that mean we must punish them when they prove to be fallible like the rest of us, after all?
Sometimes it seems that way. The best athletes in the world are already under extraordinary pressure to perform — but we require extraordinary conduct from them in parts of their lives that have nothing to do with their sports.
Of course, marijuana is a banned substance. Athletes are responsible for everything they put in their bodies, and for ensuring they comply with the rules. Ms. Richardson knew it might jeopardize her Olympic future.
“I’m not making an excuse or looking for any empathy,” Ms. Richardson told the “Today” show Friday morning, as she apologized to her fans, her family and her sponsors. She acknowledged that the news of her mother’s death had thrown her, and explained the pressure of having to “go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain.” She added, “I know that I can’t hide myself, so at least in some type of way I was just trying to hide my pain.”
It is devastating to think of the lengths that our best athletes go to handle their pain. Tiger Woods, who tested positive for marijuana, pain medications and sleep drugs when he was arrested for driving under the influence in 2017, said he was suffering from insomnia and pain from his fourth back operation. Suzy Favor Hamilton, the nine-time N.C.A.A. champion, suffered from depression after she retired from her athletic career; it led to scandal following the revelation that she’d been working as an escort. Olympian Raven Saunders talked recently about wanting to drive off the road two years after the 2016 Olympics. Michael Phelps has been public about his mental health struggles for years. (A photo of him smoking marijuana was published in 2009; he lost a sponsorship from Kellogg’s.)
We don’t just expect our Olympians to be incredible athletes. We expect them to be role models and to adhere to impossibly high levels of self-discipline, work ethics, and sportsmanship that have nothing to do with their actual job. Women, especially women of color, face even higher expectations.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/opin ... 778d3e6de3
The journey of the pawn continues online
The first annual eChess Cup hosted its National tournament for the United Arab Emirates and the Region in May 2021, where athletes ranging from as young as 6 years to 52 years old came together. Each one of them was enthusiastic and ready to use their knowledge, which was acquired from the eight coaching sessions held previously.
The eChess Cup is an eSports & Fitness initiative, whose primary goal is to maintain a culture of athletic excellence while promoting the physical and mental well-being of the Global Jamat. These events help to build and strengthen community identification, involvement, and appreciation for the goals set by the Imamat projects. (https://the.ismaili/esports/about)
Imran Ladhani, athlete Rayan’s father said, “It has been a pleasant experience for the kids and has provided an excellent opportunity to learn chess, understand and experience participating in a professional event, handle the competition’s pressure and perform under stress, which plays a vital role in a child’s mental growth and development.”
Chess is one of the few games that has managed to retain people’s attention since the beginning of its existence. When playing chess, your brain is challenged to exercise logic, develop pattern-recognition, make decisions both visually and analytically, and test your memory. The aesthetic structure of the elements, the traditional names of the pieces, the game's inevitable stages of play and eventually in the game's dignified conclusion, all contribute to its significance in the 21st century. Undoubtedly, the concentration, effort and dedication it takes to master this game can be compared to any other physical sport. In addition, while the ongoing pandemic requires us to stay within close limits of our houses, such events help us remain connected and maintain unity while simultaneously having fun.
The 16 qualifiers from the region competed in the Block A Tournament (the other qualifiers were from Australia/New Zealand, Bangladesh, Far East, India, Pakistan) in the Adult and Junior categories. Ahaq Amin Ali (Junior Category) and Shadeen Hemnani (Adult Category) then qualified from the region to the International eChess Tournament.
While expressing his gratitude to all the volunteers and arbiters who made this event a success, the eChess Lead for the United Arab Emirates region, Nabeel Shiraz, commented, “Volunteers have been given the opportunity to serve from the comforts of their homes and upgrade their skills by learning about new technologies.”
Whether they qualified or not, athletes, parents, arbiters and team members all logged off with big smiles and great sportsmanship.
https://the.ismaili/uae/the-journey-the ... ues-online
The first annual eChess Cup hosted its National tournament for the United Arab Emirates and the Region in May 2021, where athletes ranging from as young as 6 years to 52 years old came together. Each one of them was enthusiastic and ready to use their knowledge, which was acquired from the eight coaching sessions held previously.
The eChess Cup is an eSports & Fitness initiative, whose primary goal is to maintain a culture of athletic excellence while promoting the physical and mental well-being of the Global Jamat. These events help to build and strengthen community identification, involvement, and appreciation for the goals set by the Imamat projects. (https://the.ismaili/esports/about)
Imran Ladhani, athlete Rayan’s father said, “It has been a pleasant experience for the kids and has provided an excellent opportunity to learn chess, understand and experience participating in a professional event, handle the competition’s pressure and perform under stress, which plays a vital role in a child’s mental growth and development.”
Chess is one of the few games that has managed to retain people’s attention since the beginning of its existence. When playing chess, your brain is challenged to exercise logic, develop pattern-recognition, make decisions both visually and analytically, and test your memory. The aesthetic structure of the elements, the traditional names of the pieces, the game's inevitable stages of play and eventually in the game's dignified conclusion, all contribute to its significance in the 21st century. Undoubtedly, the concentration, effort and dedication it takes to master this game can be compared to any other physical sport. In addition, while the ongoing pandemic requires us to stay within close limits of our houses, such events help us remain connected and maintain unity while simultaneously having fun.
The 16 qualifiers from the region competed in the Block A Tournament (the other qualifiers were from Australia/New Zealand, Bangladesh, Far East, India, Pakistan) in the Adult and Junior categories. Ahaq Amin Ali (Junior Category) and Shadeen Hemnani (Adult Category) then qualified from the region to the International eChess Tournament.
While expressing his gratitude to all the volunteers and arbiters who made this event a success, the eChess Lead for the United Arab Emirates region, Nabeel Shiraz, commented, “Volunteers have been given the opportunity to serve from the comforts of their homes and upgrade their skills by learning about new technologies.”
Whether they qualified or not, athletes, parents, arbiters and team members all logged off with big smiles and great sportsmanship.
https://the.ismaili/uae/the-journey-the ... ues-online