Seventeen young and promising players from Lusaka, Zambia are poised to participate in the Africa Youth Chess Championship, which is slated to take place in Egypt from September 1st to 9th. Originally, a group of 36 players had been selected for the Cairo outing. Leslie Chikuse, the President of the Chess Federation of Zambia (CFZ), revealed in an interview that the Egyptian Chess Federation has encountered an overwhelming number of entries. As a result, Zambia will be represented by 17 players instead of the initially intended 36. The African Youth Chess Championship is set to unfold at the Al-Baron Hotel in Cairo. Chikuse expressed, "We will only be sending 17 players to the African Youth Chess Championship from the initial 36. This is because the Egyptian Chess Federation has indicated that there are overwhelming numbers of participants who have registered for the tournament." Chikuse added, "We would have liked to send 36, but we have to respect the host nation's desires." The Zambian team is scheduled to depart for Egypt imminently, accompanied by Woman Fide Master Constance Mbatha and David Kapembwa. Chikuse rallied the players to give their all and strive for medal-winning performances. He also conveyed gratitude to the government for providing CFZ with funds to facilitate the outing. The forthcoming tournament is expected to witness the participation of over 300 players hailing from 15 different countries. These nations include Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Among the representatives from Zambia's girls' team are Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Zangowanachipwila Nshikokola, Naomi Mwale, Kissa Sichali, Siamalongo Sindaza, Namasiku Haambayi, Atusaye Sichali, and Victoria Mweetwa. The boys' contingent comprises Joseph Handiya, Tumelo Lwenyeka, Joshua Sauti, Noah Francis, Ved Rao, Nathan Schmidt, Shaurya Danave, Luka Shields, Stephen Mofya, and Jacob Kapembwa. As these young minds gear up for the championship, the chess community anticipates their performances on the international stage.