-From Creditors, as they failed to sponsor their travel to Hungary
BY: Thomas Kojo Roulhac
Monrovia- Liberia Chess Federation (LCF) president Thomas Karyah has reported that officials of the sport are under pressure from creditors who funded their travel to Budapest, Hungary.
The federation, while preparing to participate in the 45th World Chess Olympiad, had to borrow from business people after the government failed to provide an allotted US$ 47,000 for the delegation’s departure in September of this year. Speaking as a guest on two separate sports programs on Saturday, October 5, 2024, Karyah said the government is yet to release the allocation to reimburse creditors.
He said chess officials have tried their best since their return almost two weeks ago, but nothing is working out for them. Karyah alleged that since April, people from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Finance keep pushing them around without any hope of getting the money in the sooner possible time.
“We are under serious pressure from those people, and the interest rate keeps increasing on us,” he explained. He believes that the financial situation was one of the reasons that led to players on the open session team boycotting games, significantly affecting the team’s overall performance and morale.
“The team faced numerous challenges during the competition due to a lack of government support.”
Speaking further, Mr.Karyah called on the government to release the allotted funds to enable the federation to reimburse those who extended credit to them. Acknowledging the chess federation’s frustration, the Deputy Minister for Sports at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, G. Andy Quamie, said the Ministry is working out a modality to resolve the issue. According to him, MYS is not the problem with LCF not getting its allotment up till now. “Karyah, you know we are not the problem with the money coming, but we are working things out in the back to make sure the money is given very soon,” he told the Liberia Chess Federation President when he phoned in on Truth FM Sports talk program.
