"As Bali's governor, representing the Bali government and people, I express my deepest appreciation to the chairman of PB Percasi (Indonesian Chess Federation's executive board), which has chosen Bali as the competition's location," he said.
The 2022 AYCC can help support the island's image as a global tourism destination, he observed here on Saturday.
The championship would be beneficial to recover Bali’s tourism and economy, which have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years, he noted.
At the same time, he thanked Percasi for the positive impact that it has had in Bali.
The competition started on Friday and will end on October 22, 2022, in Kuta. Several countries such as Taiwan, India, Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and the Philippines, have sent players for the championship.
Koster said he expects the tournament to motivate the youth, including youngsters in Bali, to practice chess so that they can become skilled players.
The province is specifically expected to produce resilient chess players who are capable of competing at the national and international levels, he added.
The 2022 Asian Youth Chess Championship is being held at Grand Inna Kuta Hotel. Indonesia has sent 124 chess athletes in the age categories of KU-8, KU-10, KU-12, KU-14, KU-16, and KU-18 for the competition.
The winners of the championship will get a chance to participate in the World Youth Championship. The privilege can be used once in the subsequent year following the year of the qualification.
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Translator: Ni Putu Putri M, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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