A crowdfund that started to get Amahle Zenzile to Johannesburg for the Junior Chess Championship was a success which meant she was able to get her SA Colours.
Cape Town, South Africa – Two years ago, Amahle Zenzile (11) who attends Imbasa Primary School in Cape Town, started playing chess for the Crossroads Chess Club.
It didn’t take her long to become one of the best players in her age group, maintaining an impressive rating of 1054 and winning almost every tournament she took on, in the Western Province Metro area.
Last year both Amahle and her friend Trinity qualified to represent Western Province at the SAJCC where their team won silver and they both were awarded gold for their respective boards. At the event, Amahle qualified to move on the next round where she could go on to achieve her South African colours at the South African Junior Chess Championships, held in Boksburg, Johannesburg from 16-23 of March 2019.
Trinity launched a crowdfund on BackaBuddy to help pay for Amahle’s trip to Johannesburg. The crowdfund was a success and gave Amahle the opportunity to attend the Junior Chess Championship.
The Crossroads Chess Club announced on the 23rd of March that Amahle achieved her SA Colours.
“It is with great delight and heartwarming to inform you that Amahle Zenzile has managed to obtain her SA Colours by virtue of being the highest African ranked player after the top two players. She ended up in the top 5 with a final score of 5.5 out of 9.”
“This means she qualifies to participate in the African Youth Chess Championship to be held in Namibia sometime in December 2019 and by default she also qualifies to take part at the Common wealth games which are mostly held in India but rumored to take place in South Africa this year.”
“Well done to Amahle she was outstanding in her very first SAJCC Closed participation, it is such a tough tournament competing with the best top players in the country but she held her own. This is a monumental achievement not only for Amahle but Crossroads Chess Club and Crossroads community as she has set out an example that anything is possible immaterial of where you come from and we hope this will inspire more kids in every disadvantage townships.”
Below, Trinity embraces Amahle. These two young ladies are truly inspiring. Trinity has taught us and so many others what a good friend can be and Amahle has taught us that with a little determination, you can reach your dreams!
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