KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Makhan Chess Club and a women’s chess team today left for India to participate in the Asian Team Championship Chess Tournament slated for December 20-29 in Kolkata.

The Makhan Club comprises of Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, Sujendra Prasad Shrestha, Punya Man Karmacharya and Sajan Pandey while Raj Kishore Mahato is the reserve player. The club finished first in the first Club Team Championship organised by the Himalayan Chess Club this year.

Monalisa Khambu, Asmita Adhikari, Bisakha Jaiswal and Tara Ghale formed the women’s team where Namrata Chudal is the reserve player. The players occupied the top five spots in the first Women’s National Chess Tournament. This is the first time Nepali women chess team is participating in one of the biggest regional chess tournaments.

A total of 40 nations including India, Lebanon, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, Iran, Japan and Malaysia will be participating in the tournament. Nepal’s Elite Chess Club finished fifth in the previous edition of the tournament held in Lebanon.

Arun Shankar Baidhya is the team manager while Rajesh Bahadur Shrestha accompanied the team as an official. FIDE Arbiter Gyanendra Khaiju will officiate in the tournament. Youth and Sports Minister Ganesh Nepali, National Sports Council vice-president Pitambar Timalsina, Nepal Chess Association president Rajesh Hari Joshi among others bade farewell to the team.