Pereliye Wimala Thera giftsland for chess centre

by A. C. de Silva

Chess: The game of chess was badly handicapped with the tsunami disaster all over the country and Southern Province in particular was one of the most affected.

The 'livewire' of chess in Sri Lanka - Mrs. Suneetha Wijesuriya - the President of the Anatoly Karpov Chess Club wasted no time and started a simultaneous chess program with the help of Indian Chess Grand Masters and collected Rs. 300,000 (3 lakhs) in order to build a chess centre in the Southern Province to help the chess players.

As a first step, a part of the much needed money was collected and then it was the land to be got for the building to come up.

For the last two years Anatoly Karpov Chess Club was on the look out for a land on which they could build a club house for the players' use. Like a god send as if to say, the Anatoly Karpov President Mrs. Suneetha Wijesuriya met Pereliye Wimala Thera - the Chief Incumbent De Soysaramaya who is also the Director of Siri Sumangala Siriniwasa Maha Pirivena who agreed to give the land and also help in the building of the chess centre at Pereliye Paduma Gabbaramaya Temple.

The Director of the Russian Centre Mikhail Ustinov made the first donation of Rs. 125,000 towards the building of the Chess Centre at the Pereliya Paduma Gabbaramaya Temple. The balance Rs. 125,000 will also be used towards this project. From the balance Rs. 50,000 collected, chess boards, table and chairs will be got for use at the centre.

All indications are that the chess centre at Pereliya Paduma Gabbaramaya Temple will be ready for use in early January next year.

Suneetha Wijesuriya - the President of Anatoly Karpov Chess Club thanked all those involved in the project in getting up the chess centre including the players who joined in the program.

The Anatoly Karpov Chess Club has been very active in the promotion of the sport islandwide, especially in the outstation towns. The club has also conducted tournaments in many provinces and also distributed equipment.

The club has also sent players for international tournaments to gain experience and also arranged advanced chess programs with the help of foreign Grand Masters.