Bridge International Academies pupil Myles Johnson Anyona will represent Kenya in an International Chess tournament following his victory in the national Chess championship at Bishop Gatimu Girls in Nyeri County.

11 year old Myles, a pupil at Bridge kwa Njenga will face competitors from across the world as he flies the flag for Kenya and aims for victory in the competition. Raised in the sprawling informal settlements of Mukuru kwa Njenga in Nairobi, Myles is from a community that often struggles to make ends meet.  Despite his impoverished background Myles will be able to take his place on the international stage and represent his country with confidence; his school has taught him that he can achieve anything if he is focussed and determined. 

What is even more remarkable about Myles’ journey is that he only started playing chess a year ago when he  was introduced to the game by the academy manager alongside his chess friends from sports outreach. This was a defining moment for Myles. He now plays chess daily and competes in the under 12 category; he has so far won three medals in different tournaments across the country. Myles is very excited to represent Kenya internationally.

The tournament but will be in Turkey starting mid-June. 

Myles Anyona, Bridge pupil winner Chess Championship says: “I would never have fallen in love with Chess had it not been for my school and my teachers have always encouraged me and given me the confidence to believe i can excel in the sport. My academy manager ensured I was supported throughout my practise games. It is because of my teachers devotion that I have been able to achieve my international Chess stardom. I am so proud to represent Kenya in the under 12 Chess Championship Competition in the international arena.”

Josephat, the trainer for Chess Kenya said:  “We believe it’s essential to work in partnership with institutions like Bridge who give children the opportunity to develop their talent.  Other than regulating the game, Chess Kenya aims to promote and develop the game throughout the country and international competitions give us the chance to showcase Kenyan talent on the international stage.”

Myles’ Father,  Mr. Anyona says: “This opportunity opens so many possibilities for my son, who would have thought he could compete in a national competition let alone an international competition. It is so exciting. I am so proud. I would urge my fellow friends in my community to come visit Bridge and see how my child’s life has been transformed, 

Reuben Wambugu, the Bridge director of schools in Kenya said: “We are excited to have one of our pupils represent Bridge and Kenya in the Chess international competition. This goes a long way to highlight the importance of our holistic learning – nurturing pupils talent alongside academic excellence, one cannot be achieved without the other.”

Bridge Kenya prides itself in enabling its pupils to excel both in co-curricular activities and academics. Representing Kenya is not new to Bridge and in 2018, Bridge Majengo Mapya represented Kenya in the International Taekwondo Championship which was held in Kigali, Rwanda. Bridge emerged 3rd overall competing against other African Countries. 

ENDS

For Further information, please contact: 

Terri Jacob,

PR,

+254 724 319 797

+254 731 160 000

Notes to Editors:

• Myles, and his parents  are available for interview on request
• Photos of Myles are available for your use
• A Chess Kenya representative is also available for interview

The international chess championship shall be held in Namibia, Russia, and Turkey. Chess Kenya has yet to announce the location of the competition for under 12 category.

Bridge presented three competitors at the national championship namely Elisha Muuo for under 10, Ruth Nyakundi for Under 14 and Myles Johnson Anyona for under 12. Each participant played seven rounds, one win was equivalent to one point and a draw was awarded half point. All the pupils played the seven rounds and are proud they posted positive results. Qualification to the international championship needed 5 points.  Myles Johnson, is the only one of the three going forward to represent Kenya. 

The Chess Kenya competition is a tournament organised by Chess Kenya. Chess Kenya was founded as Kenya Chess Association (KCA) in 1967 and affiliated to the international body FIDE in 1980. It is also affiliated to the African Chess Confederation (ACC) and are a regular participants in its events. 

Read more about Bridge belief in co-curricular activities here

About Bridge International Academies:

Bridge believes every child has the right to high quality education and works in partnership with governments, communities, parents and teachers to deliver education to over 270,000 children in underserved communities across Africa and Asia each and every day.  

Bridge leverages in-depth teacher training and support, advanced lesson plans and wireless technology to provide pupils with a meaningful and life-changing education.

Globally, there is an education crisis. Around 263 million children and young people are not in school and the number of primary school aged children not in school is increasing. Bridge is committed to helping tackle this through a data driven, evidence based approach that delivers strong schools and a great education for all.

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