Queen of Katwe's gambit nonetheless in play for Uganda's slum chess gamers

[ad_1] Wycliffe Muia BBC Information, Kampala

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c55c/live/776d21a0-5382-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Robert Katende A child in a red T-shirt holding a pen concentrates as they look at a chess board with pieces in play. Other young players are " class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Robert Katende For greater than 20 years, Robert Katende has been getting kids in Katwe to take chess severely

A well-known chess membership in a slum of Uganda's capital that turned the main target of the Hollywood film Queen of Katwe remains to be producing champions - however faces a each day battle to outlive.

Run by chess coach Robert Katende, performed by actor David Oyelowo within the Disney movie launched in 2016, he nonetheless believes that regardless of monetary struggles he's managing to alter kids's lives for the higher by chess.

"We use chess as a educating instrument. To determine the potential of the learners and information them to their future," Mr Katende advised the BBC on a go to to his SomChess Academy in Katwe, a poor neighbourhood of Kampala.

Shortly after graduating as a civil engineer, he first started volunteering in Katwe as a soccer coach earlier than deciding on chess - beginning up with a single chessboard in 2004 and a willpower to assist.

Inside a yr nine-year-old Phiona Mutesi, who had dropped out of college, joined up - and went on to grow to be a chess prodigy.

She took the title of nationwide ladies's junior champion thrice, competed in a number of prestigious worldwide chess Olympiads and by the age of 16 was given the title Girl Candidate Grasp by the World Chess Federation.

It was her outstanding story that was advised within the movie, with Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o taking part in her mom.

Mr Katende says her success got here from resilience and willpower - and exhibits the really transformative energy of chess.

She additionally continues to be an inspiration for a lot of of Mr Katende's gamers, together with 18-year-old Patricia Kawuma.

"Aside from profitable faculty scholarships, this sport has taught me the best way to strategise and plan forward, and it instils self-discipline and endurance," the two-time nationwide junior chess champion advised the BBC.

She has additionally represented Uganda in two worldwide tournaments and has earned cash by profitable chess competitions.

Prize cash and sponsorships have enabled her to pay for her personal faculty charges in addition to these of her siblings.

Mr Katende says greater than 4,000 kids have gone by his programmes during the last 20 years, with a few of them ending up turning into docs, engineers and legal professionals.

His huge increase got here after a e book printed in 2012 by journalist Tim Crothers about Ms Mutesi caught the attention of Disney.

When the movie firm determined to go forward and make the e book right into a film, it gave him a one-time grant of $50,000 (£36,000).

This allowed him purchase a property in Katwe to headquarter his academy and from the place he additionally runs the Robert Katende Initiative.

He was in a position to lengthen his chess membership from Katwe to periods inside Ugandan prisons - and to slums in neighbouring Kenya and Rwanda, and people in nations so far as Angola, Botswana, Cameroon and Malawi.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1435/live/aa25af60-4c4b-11f0-a403-397b1d8545e6.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="AFP/Getty Images Four people pose for a photo in Kampala in 2015. Ugandan chess champion Phiona Mutesi is on the left, wearing a beige shirt and green tie. Next to her is film-maker Mira Nair in a red and yellow kaftan, who has her arms around Phiona and actress Lupita Nyong'o, in a black and white sleeveless outfit with Robert Katende ,in a grey jacket and open-necked pink salmon shirt, standing on the right." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> AFP/Getty Photos The Queen of Katwe was primarily based on Phiona Mutesi (L) and her coach Robert Katende (R) seen right here with the movie's director Mira Nair and one in all its stars Lupita Nyong'o

At the moment, greater than 2,500 kids and about 800 inmates are in his programmes, which assist them to develop and make crucial choices, he says.

"Chess is a metaphor for all times. There are challenges and surprises in all places however in case you look intently you will discover alternatives, you will discover your approach by," the 43-year-old advised me.

"A nasty transfer in chess means you'll lose, simply the identical with life."

There may be one transfer the coach, who labored on the Queen of Katwe movie as a senior story marketing consultant and who skilled the actors of their chess scenes, didn't predict.

The Walt Disney Firm made a loss on the movie - and this has had repercussions for his burgeoning chess initiatives.

He, Ms Mutesi and the chess champion's mom had been promised a large share of any Disney income - 67%, he says.

However he was advised by the company that after investing about $15m (£11m) into the drama, directed by Mira Nair, it had solely made again $10m.

"The loss put me in a foul spot as a result of folks assume that I've hidden some cash," Mr Katende stated.

"Many individuals assume I am a rich Hollywood chess coach after the movie however the arduous fact is that we're but to profit from its income."

Nonetheless, he says he's not bitter because the movie publicised his chess programmes, attracting each native and worldwide companions.

"If Disney had not accomplished the movie, we would not be the place we're; I do not assume we'd be recognized - and plenty of different folks have come on board to help our philosophy," he stated.

Ms Mutesi's fame helped her win a scholarship to Northwest College within the US in 2017 and she or he now works in Canada as a enterprise analyst and is ready to help her mom, who has moved again to their residence village exterior Kampala.

However Mr Katende's mission faces enormous monetary challenges as most of his companions have fallen off for the reason that coronavirus pandemic.

"We needed to scale down operations and shut down some coaching centres. Earlier than Covid I had 14 workers, however now we have now eight. I worry we would let go of extra workers because of monetary constraints," he stated.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/74e6/live/76207500-5390-11f0-8485-7bd50fa63665.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Wycliffe Muia / BBC Jovan Kasozi in a black jersey top and wearing a bracelet stares in concentration, his hand on his chin, at a chess board with brown wooden pieces in a room where a chess tournament is being held." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Wycliffe Muia / BBC <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/e381/live/fd01b930-5390-11f0-b4be-8f7caf53b80c.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Robert Katende Four boys at two chess boards compete in a tournament with a crowd of young people looking on." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Robert Katende Uganda's present junior chess champion Jovan Kasozi missed out on attending a world match final yr as funds couldn't be raised for his airfare

Competitors is fierce at Robert Katende's chess golf equipment

Hundreds of his gamers in Uganda need to scramble for under 120 chess boards because of a scarcity of funds.

Uganda's present junior chess champion, 19-year-old Jovan Kasozi - one in all Mr Katende's protégés - has additionally been hit.

The Katende chess initiative pays in direction of his education and {the teenager} has been in a position to sometimes crowdfund from some properly wishers for additional chess coaching periods - however final yr he missed out a world match as a result of he couldn't elevate $400 for his air ticket.

"However I am not giving up on chess, the sport stimulates my thoughts and it has made me to be superb at arithmetic. It makes me assume like a pc," the younger man advised the BBC.

Mr Katunde is equally upbeat, saying that it might be an extended sport with regards to Disney.

"Hopefully they'll attain out to me in the event that they break even," he stated, including that then the income might begin coming in.

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<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Getty Photos/BBC [ad_2] Source link