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2019 Confederation Cup for the Disabled People Has Started in Ankara |
FIDE Confederation Cup for the Disabled People has officially started with the opening ceremony. The cup which is organized for the first time this year by FIDE with the support of Russian State Atomic Energy Cooperation (ROSATOM) will continue until December 14. Five teams, each consisting of six players with visual, auditory or physical disabilities coming from four different continents, namely America, Asia, Africa and Europe, will compete against each other in a friendly atmosphere. To emphasize the Russian-Turkish friendship one of the teams is called Russia-Turkey and it consists of 3 Russian and 3 Turkish players.
The opening ceremony was attended by FIDE Vice Presidents Gulkiz Tulay and Akaki Iashvili, tournament director and FIDE Events Commission Chairman Ozgur Solakoglu and Councillor of FIDE Commission for Disabled Kema Goryaeva. In her opening speech TCF President and FIDE Vice President Gulkiz Tulay expressed her gratitude to FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and his team as well as to ROSATOM, not only for the organization of this important cup in Ankara but also for the FIDE Mersin Chess Festival which took place two days ago on Dec 7 with the participation of the legendary champion Anatoly Karpov who gave a simultaneous exhibition to children and analyzed two games of his. After noting that also some of the Turkish arbiters appointed are disabled in the spirit of the championship Mrs. Tulay praised the unifying, fraternal qualities of this event and wished success to all players.
Turkish Public Broadcaster TRT interviewing Mr. Osorio from Panama
FIDE Vice President Akaki Iashvili also gave a welcoming speech. Mr. Iashvili praised the hosts TCF for their organizational skills which made it possible to bring players from 24 different countries in a short notice and noted that the events in Turkey are always organized at the highest quality. The Vice President also said that chess for players with disabilities is becoming one of the most important issues for FIDE and thanked ROSATOM for their very important financial support without which the organization of such an event wouldn’t be possible. Mr. Iashvili also said that FIDE will continue to show its support to one of its most reliable partners TCF such that organizations of this sort happen also in future in Turkey.
After their speeches both Vice Presidents made the ceremonial first move together and thus the first round has started.
Two FIDE VPs: Gulkiz Tulay and Akaki Iashvili |
