61 teams from 45 different countries are taking part in the first Online Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The event kicks off on November 21 and will run until December 3, a day recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The competition brings together 400 players from all over the world (including reserves). Among them, there are two participants with the Grandmaster title, the highest distinction in chess.
Malaysia sent 2 teams which is Malaysia 1 and Malaysia 2. Among the players in Malaysia 1 team, there are 4 Sabahan players namely Ardian Syah Muming, Saharuddin Mappa, Arjoni Sadewah and Wahidah Syamimi binti Abdul Sani.
While it looks bleak for both our Malaysian Teams to qualify for the next round, Team Captains Masrin Erowan (Malaysia 1), who also a Sabahan and Muhammad Khairy Jansar (Malaysia 2) are optimistic that both teams can improve their final ranking to be in the top 20 for Team 1 and top 40 for Team 2 compare to their initial seeding of 50th and 52nd respectively.
TEAM MALAYSIA 1
TEAM MALAYSIA 2
SABAH CHESS PLAYER
1. ARDIAN SYAH MUMING
2. SAHARUDDIN MAPPA
3. ARJONI SADEWAH
4. WAHIDAH SYAMIMI BINTI ABDUL SANI
TEAM CAPTAIN FOR MALAYSIA 1
5. MASRIN EROWAN