ZIMBABWE’S youth chess team has left for Entebbe, Uganda, ahead of the 2026 African Youth Chess Championships, carrying renewed confidence built on improved preparation, wider competition exposure and a stronger, more balanced squad
The 24-member delegation, which departed via Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Thursday, includes 13 girls a clear sign of the growing depth of female participation in Zimbabwean chess.
The continental event runs from May 14 to 23 and features players in the Under-8 to Under-18 categories, bringing together some of Africa’s most promising junior talents.
Zimbabwe’s head of delegation, Benson Magomo, said the team aims to build on lessons from last year’s edition, when the country hosted the championships at Dominican Convent and secured a single silver medal.
“As Team Zimbabwe, we are going to ride from the last edition… we are going to be building our teams based upon that success and we hope that we are going to bring more medals,” said Magomo.
Unlike last year’s largely inexperienced squad, officials say the current team arrives in Uganda with improved match experience gained through school tournaments, coaching clinics and national competitions.
Zimbabwe Chess Federation president Todd Mapingire said the players have matured significantly since their last continental outing, with several now competing regularly at higher levels.
Magomo added that the federation’s grassroots programmes, including Chess to Kumusha, are beginning to widen the talent base beyond major urban centres.
