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NEWS & EVENTS
Team BSB take Borneo crown
Sunday, 13th December 2009


TEAM Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) won the 2009 Borneo Intercity Chess Championship for Brunei yesterday, beating seven other sides to emerge as overall champions of the two-day tournament at the Youth Centre in the capital.

Taking home the challenge trophy donated by the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BNOC) His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the BSB team beat seven other teams

Brunei was also represented by Kuala Belait (KB), Tutong and Temburong, with Kota Kinabalu (KK) and Labuan representing Sabah and Miri and Kuching flying the flag for Sarawak.

Two categories were contested, rapid and blitz. Each was sub-divided into two divisions, individual and team.

Each team had five players, with seven rounds contested in the rapid category and nine in the blitz.

Apart from the challenge trophy and awards for best team and individual, a total of US$4,500 cash prize was also at stake.

The BSB team were made up of Ahmad Bukhari Hj Emran, brothers Md Aliuddin and Md Nur Arriffin Hj Azahari, Yee Soon Wei and Brunei Chess Federation (BCF) vice-president Pg Abd Rahman PLW Yussof,

Chess was one of the sports contested during the Borneo Cup which has been held every two years since 2000, and Pg Abd Rahman was glad that Brunei was able to win the tournament in its new inception.

"We are all happy. We have been waiting for this for 10 years," said Pg Abd Rahman, who was also BSB's captain.

"We have achieved what we wanted and the juniors are showing promise," he added yesterday.

BSB finished with a total of 25.5 points in the rapid team event, with KK coming in second with 23 points and Kuching third with 21 points.

In the team blitz, BSB topped the standings with 32.5 points, with KK coming in second once again with 29.5 points and KB third with 23.5 points.

It was an all-BSB finish on the podium of the individual blitz competition.

Yee finished first with eight points, with Md Aliuddin in second with seven points and Ahamd Bukhari third with 6.5 points.

Results of the individual rapid were not available.

Team KB consisted of Emran Sahari, Hj Abu Mipak Hj Kura, Leong Voon Choon, Md Japar Timbang and Yap Cheow Tun while Team Tutong were made up of Ira Kartika Sabli, Md Adib Syaqi Hj Khir Zaki, Md Siraj Munir Ahmad, Munir Azizi Ahmad and Siti Fatimah Hj Azahari.

Team Bangar were comprised of Koh Pook Huan, Md Iqbal Hj Khir Zaki, Md Nabil Sabli, See Jun Wei and Siti Fatanah.

The Bruneian players have been undergoing intensive training under national coach Grand Master Tahir Vakhidov since November.

Dato Paduka Hj Jemat Hj Ampal, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, presented the prizes and challenge trophy to the winners.

Courtesy from Brunei Times