Injured War Heroes & Regimental Chess Players Show Colours in Chess Championships

The combined awarding ceremony of the Sri Lanka Army’s Injured War Heroes’ Chess Championship Tournament and the Inter Regiment Chess Championship got underway on Thursday (25) at Panagoda Army Indoor Gymnasium where the finals were held.

Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda, Deputy Chief of Staff representing the Commander of the Army arrived there as the Chief Guest for the awarding ceremony at the invitation of the Chairman, Army Chess Committee, Major General Swarna Bothota, Colonel Commandant, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps and Commandant, Officer Career Development Centre at Buttala.

The Injured War Heroes’ Chess Championship tournament worked out at Pangolla ‘Abimansala 3’ premises during 18 - 19 November with the participation of handicapped War Heroes while the Inter Regiment Chess Championship was conducted at Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) Regimental HQ auditorium at Panagoda during 22 - 23 November, competed by Chess players of 17 Regiments.

The day’s Chief Guest after a warm welcome extended by the Chairman, Army Chess Committee on arrival was ushered to witness the finals of the championships.

After the finals, Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda was invited to award trophies, medals and certificates to the winners in the championships. The award of trophies and medals was afterwards joined by Major General Sujeewa Senerath Yapa, Commander, Security Forces - West and Major General Priyanka Fernando, Director General General Staff.

This year’s Inter Regiment Chess Championship was secured by players in the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLAMC). The 2nd and 3rd places went to players in the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) Regiment and the players in the Sri Lanka Army service Corps respectively.

In the meantime, wins in the Injured War Heroes’ Chess Championship went to Abhimansala 3 and they received their trophies and awards from the day’s Chief Guest around the same time.

At the end of the brief ceremony that strictly followed health guidelines, Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda, Deputy chief of Staff took time off to share compliments and best wishes with those participating players.

Vision-impaired and physically-handicapped War Heroes, still under recuperation and rehabilitation at Ranaviru Sevana at Ragama, Mihindu Seth Medura at Attidiya, ‘Abimansala 1, 2, 3’ at Anuradhapura, Kamburupitiya and Pangolla participated in the championship tournament, conducted under individual and group categories.

Towards the end of the awarding, the day’s Chief Guest congratulated achievers in both tournaments and underlined the need to further elevate their skills in order to reach national levels to fetch more awards and admiration to the organization.

The day’s simple ceremony got to a start after singing the national anthem and the Army Chess song along with observance of one-minute silence in memory of fallen War Heroes. Coloured with entertaining features, the event saw Major General Swarna Bothota, Chairman, Army Chess Committee delivering the welcome speech.

Team photographs and the vote of thanks brought the day’s event to culmination.

Senior Officers, Centre Commandants and Officers as well as a restricted number of other ranks witnessed the day’s, spectacle.