KOTA SAMARAHAN: As the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA) chess competition kicks off, Sarawak head chess coach Muhd Zulfaqar Abu Bakar has set realistic expectations for his team.
While the early rounds have shown promise, the competition has been fierce, with Sarawak facing off against each other.
When it comes to medals, Zulfaqar remains optimistic.
“Expectations for the men’s team are okay for these early rounds. But since many of them are competing against each other, the results have been slightly off target. Still, we’re on track.
“For the women, our target is at least a bronze. For the men, especially in the rapid and blitz categories, we’re aiming for at least one gold,” he told the New Sarawak Tribune during the first day of the tournament at Dewan Jubli Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) here today.
Zulfaqar highlighted the stiff competition from other states, particularly Selangor and Penang, both of which have strong national players.
“In chess, many national players are from other states. For Sarawak, our players are relatively average but with some experience.
“Our expectations are slightly lower due to the presence of many national players.
“However, for the men’s team, we have some very experienced players, which is why we’re targeting gold,” he added.
Asked about their strategy, Zulfaqar was cautious.
“We have specific strategies to face the national players, especially since I’ve competed against all of them. But we can’t disclose our strategies,” he said.
He acknowledged the apprehension among the female players, who lack the experience of their counterparts from other states.
He said the men, on the other hand, are more relaxed because most of them are accustomed to tournaments.
Reflecting on the men’s team’s achievements, Zulfaqar recalled their participation in the 2018 Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Open Chess Championship, an international tournament with competitors from five countries.
“Our SUKMA players won the UNIMAS Open in 2018 and 2019, which is their highest achievement so far,” he proudly shared.
For the record, Sarawak’s contingent comprises 12 players, including six women, ranging in age from 14 to 21.
They are competing in three categories: rapid, standard, and blitz. The rapid category features two male and two female players, while the standard category includes four male and four female players.
The blitz competition, scheduled for Aug 24, will see two male and two female players.
The chess event, making its debut in SUKMA XXI, is scheduled to take place from Aug 20 to 24.
A total of 141 players are participating, representing all states except Sabah.
