Oman’s Al Najjar named vice-chairperson of newly-formed Gulf Chess Federation

Muscat: The chess chiefs of Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nations finalised the formation of Gulf Chess Federation at a meeting organised in Al Ain recently.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, chief of the Asian Chess Federation, and attended by chairpersons and representatives of the GCC Chess Associations.
According to Oman Chess Committee (OCC) chairperson, Laila bint Ahmed Al Najar, ‘the first constituent meeting which led to formation of the Gulf Chess Federation was held thanks to an initiative from the Secretariat General of the Asian Chess Federation, chaired by His Highness sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout al Nahyan’.
“The meeting was fruitful and has shaped the features of the Gulf Chess Federation and has also seen the formation of the first board of the Federation,” she said.
“The Federation would enhance and develop the brotherly relations, cooperation and coordination between the chess associations and committees in the GCC states,” she said.
The meeting has also discussed the items of the constitution of the GCF. The meeting approved the succession system (each term lasting four years) in the Gulf Chess Federation starting with Bahrain followed by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and UAE in that order.
Gulf Cup of chess
The meeting also approved the organisational structure of the Federation which includes the general assembly comprising representatives of the GCC states but not more than two persons from each body.
The meeting also approved the formation of the Gulf Chess Federation board with Hassan Eid Bokammas, chief of Bahrain Mind Sports Association, as the chairman.
UAE’s Abdulaziz Al Khouri has been named as the first vice-chairman and Oman’s Laila Al Najar as second vice-chairperson.
Kuwait’s Adil Al Omairi has been made the general secretary while Mohammed Al Mudhaihki of Qatar and Othman Al Qasabi of Saudi Arabia are the board members.
The meeting also assigned the GCF board with formation of a technical committee for drafting the rules and regulations of the federation, the programmes and activities for the ture.
The meeting also approved the plans to organise the Gulf Cup Chess Championship for men and women every two years, the first of which will be hosted by the UAE in 2017.