SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Rajvir Shergil created history when he won Jamaica’s first ever medal at the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Chess Championship.
From left: Creative Kids Learning Academy team members Rajvir Shergil, Jayden Hylton, Principal Haedi-Kaye Holmes, Luke Wright, Izabel Misir, and Coach Warren Elliott at the World Schools Team Chess Championship. (Photo courtesy Jamaica Observer)Competing at the event that concluded over the weekend, Shergil, who represented Creative Kids Learning Academy (CKLA), placed third overall on Board 2 to earn Jamaica’s maiden medal at the tournament.
He was part of the four-member CKLA team that included Luke Wright, ACM Jayden Hylton and Isabel Misir, which finished 14th among 29 schools from 25 countries across the Americas.
Saco Oliveros de Lince of Peru won the overall competition, with Harvest Park Middle School of the United States finishing second and Cresent Heights Academy of Canada third
CKLA coach Warren Elliott said he was proud of the team and Shergil’s historic performance.
“I’m extremely proud of these youngsters. They prepared hard and displayed true grit playing against opposition, in some instances, much older than they are. Rajvir’s historic performance will put a smile on my face for years to come,” Elliott said.
CKLA opened the competition with a 3-1 win over Colegio Padre Agustin Valentini of El Salvador before losing 4-0 to Harvest Park Middle School.
The Jamaicans rebounded with a 3-1 win over Unidad Educativa Salesianos Don Bosco Macas of Ecuador and then drew 2-2 with Colegio Celta Internacional of Mexico.
They then lost 3-1 to Columbus American School of Colombia before beating British School of Costa Rica 3-1. They also drew 2-2 with The Oxford School of Panama before ending the competition with a 4-0 loss to Saint Gabriel’s School of Peru.
