PANAJI
The Chess Federation for Physically Disabled (CFPD) announced that Goa will host the 24th IPCA World Chess Championship from July 21 to 31 at the prestigious International Centre, Goa.
Organised by CFPD under the aegis of the All-India Chess Federation, the championship is being conducted in collaboration with the Goa Chess Association for Persons with Disabilities (GCAPD), and is supported by the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities (Government of Goa), the Sports Authority of India, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The event will be held under the Chairmanship of Subhash Phal Dessai, Minister for the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, who also serves as the Organising Chairman.
Key officials guiding the championship include E V Vallavan, IAS, Secretary for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities; Guruprasad Pawaskar, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities; Varsha Naik, Director for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities; and Taha Haaziq, Secretary to the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities. The CFPD will be represented by M. Baskaran (President), Anand Babu (Secretary), Jayawanth G. Hammanavar (General Secretary of the Paralympics Association of India), R. Srivatsan (Senior Chief Advisor), and Alon Shulman (Chief Arbiter, IA Grade A).
From the host association GCAPD, the organising team comprises Sanjay Belurkar (President), Sameer Naik (Vice President), Sanjay Kavlekar (Secretary), Balakrishna V. (Treasurer), along with Tanishq Kavlekar, Komal Bandekar, Amrut Naik, Unique Chess Academy, and Queens Chess and Cultural Club.
The 24th IPCA World Chess Championship is expected to bring together over 100 top players from more than 20 countries, including Russia, Israel, Poland, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Germany, South Africa, UAE, Sri Lanka, and India. Among the notable international participants are IM Gurbanov Andrei (Israel), FM Molenda Marcin (Poland), FM Severino Sander (Philippines), IM Obodchuk Andrei (FIDE), FM Valenta Vit Vaclav (Czech Republic), CM Samarth Rao (India), and FM Venkata Krishna Karthick, the Asian Para Champion from India. Representing the host state of Goa, Sanjay Kavlekar and Amrut Naik are also likely to compete.
This prestigious championship has received enthusiastic endorsements from renowned national and international personalities and reflects India’s commitment to creating accessible, inclusive platforms for global sporting excellence. It resonates with the spirit of Purple Fest—Goa’s internationally recognized celebration of the talent and achievements of persons with disabilities—highlighting the power of chess as a unifying and empowering force.
