Many South Africans would not like to recall the apartheid days when racial discrimination separated them from others in the country.
Charles Sidney Eichab has proved that there’s more to Namibia than athletics
MUMBAI: Many South Africans would not like to recall the apartheid days when racial discrimination separated them from others in the country. Charles Sidney Eichab is not among them. As it was, during this period he went on to learn the game of chess in what was then South-West Africa and today he is the first Namibian who has given a different dimension to the brain game in his country.
Born in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, Charles was forced to move to Okahandja, some 70 kms away from his birthplace due to the apartheid. Even there too, he, and other Blacks, were not allowed to play outdoor games such as football or rugby. Charles is currently in Mumbai to take part in the Commonwealth Chess Championship.
“Yes, many of us would not like to go back to those days. They sure were tough days. But it was also during that period that I learnt this game and today I feel proud that I am the first person from my country to play this game at the international level,” says Charles.
Son of a school teacher, Charles was forced to keep indoors during his childhood days. He used to play draft in the beginning but decided to take up chess after two years. His passion for chess has given a new dimension to the game in a country where athletics and football are the only well-known sporting commodities. “We are proud to have many big names in football and athletics but today chess is also rated as a growing sport in my country,” he says.
With a Fide rating of 2036 under his belt, Charles, who has participated in four Olympiads, next wants to win the Fide Masters.
Charles is a big fan of Viswanathan Anand. “I have met him in person but would like to meet him across the board,” he says.
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