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Michael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
A Camelot High School Lower Sixth student is set to represent Africa at the World Amateur Chess Championships to be held in Mexico between June 29 and July 7 this year.

Leeroy Mpala booked himself a place at the tournament after clinching a gold medal at the All-Africa Amateur Chess Championship held in Namibia in January in a tournament where he represented the SADC region.

Officiating at an official send-off ceremony at Camelot Schools campus last week, Kwekwe District Schools Inspector (DSI) Mr Bernard Mazambani said Mpala was a product of the recently introduced competence based education curriculum which emphasises on identifying and nurturing talent.

“These are some of the results of the competence-based education curriculum which Government is in the process of finalising. We are saying talent should be identified at a tender age and nurtured and these are some of the results of the curriculum and what it seeks to achieve,” he said.

Mr Mazambani said Mpala was not only carrying the Zimbabwean flag but also of the continent and urged him to bring the gold medal home.

He also urged the youngster and his team to be ambassadors of the country during the tournament.

“We wish the boy well in his endeavours as he has not only put Zimbabwe but the whole of Africa on the world map. The whole world will be rallying behind the boy from Zimbabwe, which is what we want to see more happening through the curriculum,” said Mr Mazambani.

Mpala’s coach, Wilfred Sithole, said he was confident the youngster would bring home a gold medal given his prowess.

“I met Leeroy in 2014 when he was doing Grade Seven at this school (Camelot) where I was a teacher. I have been with him nurturing him since then and I know his capabilities. I am sure to say he will bring home the coveted gold medal,” said Sithole.

Sithole said the talented chess player was amongst the first students to be enrolled at Willenita in 2015 when he formed the chess academy.

Mpala’s mentor added that the youngster didn’t disappoint as he went on to win competitions from the district up to the national level.

En-route to qualifying for the world champs, Mpala won the SADC region tourney in Botswana before representing the region at the All-Africa Games in Namibia where he became the young champion booking a ticket to Mexico to represent the continent in the world champs.

Mpala oozed confidence that he would bring the gold home.

“I look forward to be a grandmaster in the world, which means I will be a chess champion of the world. To be a grandmaster it is something which is rare in Africa so that is the challenge I have set for myself.

“In Zimbabwe, though, we have three international players but none is a grandmaster,” said the excited Mpala about his prospects of visiting the North American country.