The confusion that occurred at the Southern Province School Chess Tournament

Information has now been revealed to the media regarding numerous serious injustices faced by the students and parents who participated in the Southern Province School Chess Tournament, organized by the Southern Province Chess Association. It is reported that this tournament, which was scheduled to be held on June 19, 20, and 21, has completely fallen into a crisis due to the arbitrary and whimsical decisions of the Southern Province Chess organizer, Yasas.

Although there was an initial agreement not to properly publicize the tournament venue, this series of problems began when he illegally released the relevant information to a group named 'School Chess 1'.

The organizer arranged for this tournament to be held in Weeraketiya, Hambantota, a remote area with minimal accommodation and parking facilities, completely rejecting requests from parents and coaches to hold it in a well-equipped city like Galle or Matara. Inquiries with the principal of the relevant school and the Zonal Education Office revealed that they had not granted any official permission for this tournament, nor had they received any official notification or letter from the Zonal Director regarding it. It is also revealed that this organizer, who acted very rudely and shouted in a harsh tone, claiming to have many years of experience, is someone who forcibly assumed the position and has faced numerous allegations in the past.

The organizing committee constantly changed the tournament start times, causing severe inconvenience to parents and students. Initially, it was announced that matches would start at 3:00 PM, then it was postponed to 3:30 PM. The next day, students from distant areas like Ambalangoda and Galle were asked to arrive by 2:30 PM. Although over 90% of the participants arrived on time, only the girls' name list had been published by midday, while the boys' list was not. When questioned, the organizer claimed there was no internet signal in the Weeraketiya area, but parents state that, in reality, desks, chairs, or even benches had not yet been arranged in the tournament hall. There are also allegations that such a remote area lacking facilities was chosen with the intention of misusing the funds allocated for the tournament.

Despite being told that matches would start at 5:10 PM after continuous delays, the organizers failed to start the matches even by 6:30 PM. Finally, when the matches were arranged to start around 7:00 PM amidst severe darkness, young children aged 6, 8, and 10 were subjected to severe mental stress. When parents questioned how such young children could play in the dark at a time when they should be sleeping, the organizer severely scolded the parents, saying, "These are not babies," and ordered them to leave the hall without their children.

While children in the other eight provinces of Sri Lanka played seven rounds over three days with ease and proper rest, the children of the Southern Province were forced to play all seven rounds within two days, causing them severe injustice. Although chess is a mentally demanding game, such arbitrary decisions are destroying the children's talents and their chess future. There is also a sad report of a helpless mother who, due to the sudden change in tournament venues, could not find accommodation and had to travel from Ambalangoda on a large bus with her six-month-old baby, carrying her eight-year-old child, after losing her husband. The children's future has been sacrificed for the organizer's personal gain and financial exploitation, and parents possess photographs and video footage as evidence to corroborate this entire incident and the organizer's behavior.