Mia Sahely, the player from St. Kitts and Nevis, scored a draw against Bahrain’s player, which resulted in half a point for both teams. This is the first half point for the St. Kitts and Nevis team in the 45th Budapest Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary.
Mia Sahely and her mother, Halla Sahely, have made their debut together as a four-member chess team from St. Kitts and Nevis. Their debut has created history since it is the first time women have taken part in a Chess Olympiad.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) Commission for Women Chess has taken the initiative this year to promote chess worldwide and give various opportunities to women who wish to play chess at a considerable level.
Earlier, St. Kitts and Nevis didn’t have a women’s team for international tournaments. But after this initiative, for the very first time, the Women’s team reached Budapest to compete in the 45th Chess Olympiad. The women’s team has made a significant impact on the game.
The team is led by Deborah Richards-Porter and consists of various players such as Joalyn Myers, Uniqua Rawlins, Halla Sahely, Mia Sahely, and P Della P Stanley.
Prime Minister Terrance Drew extended his support to both men’s and women’s teams for the 45th Chess Olympiads. Also, many fan pages are supporting the players for their upcoming matches. Local authorities and the government of St. Kitts and Nevis have also conveyed their wishes and blessings to all the players through social media.
Netizens appreciate the initiative taken by FIDE to promote the game of chess worldwide, acknowledge their efforts to raise awareness among women and provide them an opportunity to represent their country.
Budapest is the host of the 45th Chess Olympiad. After 98 years, Budapest has received the chance to organize this event. Earlier, an unofficial chess olympiad was conducted in Budapest, Hungary, in the year 1926. After this, many countries got the chance to host this event.
This chess olympiad has grabbed the attention of audiences worldwide. More support has been given to them with the help of social media. A total of 193 teams have registered in the open section of the Olympiad, whereas 181 women’s teams are a part of this competition.
The olympiad will be a 12-day biennial event which will consist of over 1800 players from across the world. The event started on 10 September 2024 and will last till 23 September 2024. Budapest will continue its matches in the coming days.
