THE Ministry of Culture and Sports and SN Brussels Airlines have promised to support the national chess team that will represent Rwanda at the 38th Dresden World Chess Olympiad set for November 12-25 in Germany.

According to Rwanda Chess Federation (Ferwade) boss Godfrey Kabera, the Ministry of Sports has offered a return air ticket for the official who will attend the Olympiad congress.

However, the quantity of the airfare boost from SN Brussels Airlines was yet to be known as both parties were scheduled to meet yesterday to finalize the deal.

Orinfor have offered free airtime of the fourth coming Chess world event with an aim of popularizing the event.

"We appreciate the support received so far and strongly appeal to other corporate bodies and well-wishers to assist the national (chess) team,” Kabera appealed.

Ferwade has represented Rwanda in four successive international Chess Olympiad organized by World chess federation (FIDE), namely the 34th Chess Olympiad in 2000 hosted in Slovenia, Turkey Olympiad in 2002, Spain Olympiad in 2004 and Italy Olympiad in 2006.

The local chess federation intends to send a seven-man team that includes six players and a coach to the tournament that will run from November 12 to 25.

The team includes Alex Ruzigura, Maxence Murara, Godfrey Kabera, Eugene Mugerwa, Joseph Ngendo and Jean-Protogene Munyehirwe and head coach Williams Abiye.

Among the five, Kabera and Murara are the highly placed Rwandan players in the international ranking with 1949 and 1682 points respectively.

According to Kabera, the trip will cost the federation an estimated Frw25 millions for visa, living expenses for two weeks, exhibition costs and air tickets.

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