Soondarsingh back as chess president

WITH NO challengers to his post at Sunday’s election, Bhisham Soondarsingh was re-elected president of the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association for the 2003-2004 term.

This was during their Annual General Meeting at the Education Block, Arcon Building, UWI St Augustine. Soondarsingh, a member of ALGICO In-formation Technology de-partment, has a long history in chess locally, having founded Paladins Chess Club 35 years ago as a teenager. The bespectacled Soondarsingh currently serves on the executive board of the National Chess Training Centre. Petronilla Araujo, a pioneer of women’s chess and a member of the national women teams during World Olympiads in the 1970s and 1980s, was also re-elected unopposed as first vice-president at the elections, chaired by Tobago House of Assembly (THA) member Anthony Arnold.

Other members of the executive are Tobagonian Stefan Lewis as second vice-president; FIDE Master Mario Merritt as third vice-president; Dr Gregory Boyce as secretary; Sean Pascall as assistant secretary; David Jones as treasurer; and Andrew Bowles as Public Relations Officer. National Master John Raphael and Anthony Sylvester will join Sally Maharaj on the disciplinary committee while Prakash Persad and Michael Pouchet will serve on the tribunal committee for the first time, alongside Arnold, Guelmo Rosales and Donna-Marie Campbell.
Leroy Mayers will spend an additional two years as trustee, as well as Shamah Khan and Dirk McKenzie.