Goan chess players Ivana, Bhakti leave for World Youth Chess meet

Panaji, Oct 17 (UNI) Two Goan chess players, Asian medallists Ivana Furtado and Bhakti Kulkarni, today left for Batumi, Georgia, to participate in the World Youth Chess Championship which will be held from October 18 to 29.

Dronacharya awardee Raghunandan Gokhale, who is presently coaching the two girls, has exuded confidence in the two girls, especially after Bhakti's splendid perfomance in the National ''B'' in Chennai last month. ''We can expect a strong showing from both the girls. If either of them wins a medal, it will definitely be an icing on the cake,'' Mr Gokhale said.

This is the first time that Goans have been selected to represent India in this prestigious event.

A cash incentive of Rs one lakh has also been announced by the All India Chess Federation (AICF) vice president Sameer Salgaocar if the girls win a medal in Georgia.

After their good performance in Teheran during the Asian Youth Championship, we can expect some good performance from both of them, Mr Salgaocar said.

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