Lagos chess opens camping

Lagos State Chess Association will on Saturday continue with the third phase of the open camping for training of the state players ahead the 2014 National Sports Festival.

The 15 players include six men and nine women with three coaches led by the Technical Director, Bayo Babalola. The male players are Dominic Udeme, Roland Dieyyi, Odum Martin, Tosin Akinwamide, Oloruntola Gbenga and Ojo John. The women include Chinyere Ehirim, Aisha Jimoh-Ibrahim, Tumininu Oyewole, Seun Olabisi and Oke Abiodun. Others are Taiye Rodiyat Usman, Bolade Odugbesan and Yemi Osundinakin.

Coach Babalola will be assisted by Rotimi Dasaolu and Jibola Olanrewaju who were also part of the coaching crew to the last National Sports Festival held in Lagos in 2012.

Babalola said, “We have been holding this training programme every month since the last three months and it is preparatory to the National Sports Festival in Calabar where we hope to improve on our last festival’s performance.

“We are following the international manual on training and this will prepare the players for actual play, opening and endgame theories as well as tactical exercises which are required to have a well rounded player.”