Two players and one coach from Odisha have been selected to represent India in the Asian Youth Chess Championship, scheduled to be held at Tashkent in Uzbekistan from March 31 to April 10, 2017. Of the two Odisha players, Fide Master Anwesha Mishra will compete in under-16 girls’ category, while Women Fide Master Saina Salonika will do so under-14 girls group.

Candidate Master (CM) and National Instructor Aparajita Gochhikar is the other one from Odisha, who will accompany the India squad as coach. Government of India will bear full cost of participation for Anwesha and Aparajita, while Saina would compete at no cost to the government. The Asian Youth Championship would feature competition for boys and girls in U-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18 categories.

Anwesha was selected on the basis of winning gold medal in under-14 category of the 2016 Asian Youth Championship, while Saina was chosen by virtue of bagging silvers medal in under-13 girls’ category of the 2016 National championship. Puri woman Aparajita is the youngest one till date to have been selected as National coach for an international tournament.

As a chess coach, Aparajita was awarded with National Instructor (NI) license by FIDE Trainers` Commission, World Chess Federation in September 2016. Aparajita is an alumni of KIIT University and she is now attached with KIIT Chess Academy.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) has selected as many as 33 players for the ensuing Asian Youth Championship, out of which six boys, nine girls and two coaches would get full expenses from Government of India.
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PHOTO: File photo of Aparajita Gochhikar, who has been selected as one of the coaches of the national team for the Asian Youth Chess Championship 2017.