03 Apr 2023

Metropolitan Botswana has extended its union with Botswana Chess Federation (BCF).

Consequently, the company injected P152 800 into this year’s national chess championship tournament.

Speaking at the sponsorship launch in Gaborone recently, BCF president, Mooketsi Segaise, said Metropolitan was their major and most consistent sponsor for 17 years.

“Our annual competition has been held successfully for a number of years thanks to Metropolitan’s support, which has greatly enhanced the status of our national championship,” Segaise said.

He further stated that it was encouraging that Metropolitan still saw it fit to continue sponsoring the chess federation despite the challenging economic times that every organisation was going through.

“We are appreciative of Metropolitan’s decision to continue helping us despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact and as a result, we have been able to witness several young players sweeping the SADC region and all of Africa, which gives us faith that we will one day be a force to be reckoned with,” he said.

For his part, Botsogo Health Plan general manager, Lesego Pule, said Metropolitan Botswana was proud to be part of a long-standing union with BCF.

“As a medical aid scheme administered by Metropolitan Health Botswana, we are passionate about promoting one’s mental and physical health as well as extending a helping hand in the communities that we serve,” Pule said.

He said involving children in chess fostered free thinking and tactical decision-making, which would assist them positively later in life, therefore it was an initiative that they could not help but want to be a part of.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan chess championship first round qualifiers were held in Gaborone on March 18-19. The second round qualifiers would be held in Palapye on April 8-9 while finals would be held in Gaborone from April 29 to May 1. ENDS