CATEGORY:MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT
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By Trevor Thwaites (Inside Grenada correspondent)


ST.JOHN, Grenada - He is only 11 and already he has his sights on becoming the World Chess Champion before his 20 birthday. “I will like to become a Kasporav or a Bobby Fisher. I think I can be the champion or a “Grand Master”, states young Omari Teka with a look of confidence on his face. And from all indications, the unique and intelligent youngster seems to be on the right track. Teka, who hails from Maran in St John, is truly a unique youngster.

He was driven to Barbados to pursue his studies after Hurricane Ivan devastated the country on September 7, 2004 and after two years, he has made a huge impression in Chess. He is the under-12 champion in Barbados and finished second at a regional tournament in Trinidad and Tobago. Teka has also won several events, which have seen him acquire several brilliant trophies. He certainly grabbed the attention of the press in Barbados, after winning the 2006 Under 12 Competition.

“This competition has seen the emergence of a pleasant young boy, Omari Teka, always smiling and playing far beyond his age and scoring a perfect 6/6 to take the National Championship. We hope that this St Jude’s Boy will be a player to watch in the future”, are the comments coming from the ‘Land of the Flying Fish.’ Teka, who is now back in school after spending his summer holidays with his mother Angela and family, is getting ready to represent Barbados at an international event in Miami, Florida, from December 27-29.

“I want to win that competition. I will be training hard and will be giving off my very best”, Teka told us before leaving for Barbados last week. Unlike the normal youngster, Teka is very fond of Chess. “It helps me think a lot. It helps me concentrate more. I do not like cricket or football. I rather to be in a corner by myself thinking about something constructively”, he said. Grenadian, Justin Pierre, who has been on the Chess Circuit over the last 15 years, thinks highly of the youngster.

“He is a special kid. He is intelligent and has a sound brain. I think he can win the event in Miami and put Grenada on the map”, stated Pierre, who has been playing with Teka over the holidays.
Teka got involved in the playing of Chess, which is part of the School’s curriculum in Barbados in 2004. At the moment, he is not sure of a career apart from wanting to become the World Chess Champion. But one thing is certain - he wants to attend the best secondary school in Barbados.

“I am hoping to do well in the Common Entrance Examinations next year and do well in my studies. My favourite subjects are Chess, Mathematics, Language Arts, History, Information Telecommunications (IT), Human Biology and Geography. Teka’s love for Chess has forced him to remain in Barbados for longer than initially planned. Despite the country’s recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, he does not want to return because Chess is not a part of the local curriculum.