BOBRUISK, 7 August (BelTA) – The Belarusian team placed second at the online chess tournament with prisoners and detainees from around the world. Russia won the competitions. Italy finished third, BelTA has learned.
The international online chess tournament among inmates from the correctional facilities of Belarus, Russia, Armenia, and prisoners from the penitentiaries of the UK, the United States, Brazil and Italy took place on 5-6 August. Belarus was represented at the competitions by a team of four players from Correctional Facility No.2 of Bobruisk. Belarus took part in the tournament for the first time.
According to Deputy Director of the Department of Corrections Vladislav Mandrik, the inmates in Correctional Facility No.2 can exercise, play ice hockey and football. As soon as an opportunity to take part in the tournament appeared, all the correctional facilities showed their interest. “We opted for this facility. The guys that played did not let us down. Now, within the framework of international cooperation we are ready to offer our capabilities for the participation in various tournaments,” he said.
Vladislav Mandrik stressed that the competitions were held in cooperation with the Belarusian Chess Federation. “We hope for its support. We have already talked over the possibility of hosting chess tournaments between facilities, workshops featuring specialists from the federation. There are a lot of ideas,” he said.
The deputy director added that one of the main objectives of such competitions is to expand the inmates' skills. “It is done for people to believe in their capabilities and help them prepare themselves for re-entering the society,” he stressed.
Belarus received the invitation to join the international online chess tournament among prisoners from the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia. The organizer of the competitions is the Cook County Department of Corrections in Chicago.
Photos by Ramil Nasibulin
