He gave, as an example, the Gambian players who returned from Norway in August after taking part in the Olympiad and currently jobless. At least they should be given a certain amount monthly by the federation as a form of motivation, he said.
“We have very good talents compared to African countries I travelled to”, he said, adding that the players can go very far if given the required support.
“Encouragement is what is really lacking, especially financially, because in chess if you do not have a stable mind you cannot perform”, he went on, adding: “chess is the only sport in the world that needs more brain work”.
Mr Eid who was speaking to reporters last Saturday during the opening of the GCF headquarters, expressed delight about the development, stating that it shows that they have gone a long way, and thanked the people who made it possible.
The sky is the limit for chess in the country, he continued, adding that the opening of the headquarters is a starting point and will add a lot to Gambian chess.
Development should start from the grassroots, and it is in the pipeline not only to open a training school for children.
He dismissed the notion that chess is old people’s sport.
“It is a wrong perspective that chess is meant for only old people; it is only someone who does not know the sport who will say that,” he added.
