Pakistan men, women teams to feature in Chess Olympiad

LAHORE: Pakistan’s men’s and women’s chess teams are set to represent the country in the forthcoming 45h FIDE Chess Olympiad, the leading chess event of the world.

The men’s team for this event, being held in Budapest, Hungary, will be captained by Saleem Akhtar. The others members include national champion Mafaaz Khalid, Amer Karim, Momin Faizan, Muhammad Luqman, and Mudasir Iqbal.

The women’s team for this event, also at the same venue, is being led by Shujaat and includes Sehba Shah, Zenobia Wasif, Mehak Gul and Sehrish. Hanif Qureshi, the President of Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP), will head the national delegation which is set to depart for Hungary on Tuesday

It may be recalled the CFP has witnessed significant growth and development under the leadership of its President Hanif Qureshi. After decades of challenges, the federation is now gaining recognition both nationally and internationally.

The CFP recently won the Best Chess Federation Excellence Award 2023 in Asia, awarded by H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation, in Abu Dhabi. This recognition comes on the heels of several impressive achievements by Pakistani players, particularly in youth chess.