Crispin ‘Goj’ Odhiambo set to lead Team Kenya to international draughts tourney in Turkey

National draughts champion Crispin ‘Goj’ Odhiambo will finally get his opportunity to test his skills, playing against a world class field in Turkey.

He is set to travel alongside fellow checkers great Daphton Mwashighadi and Charles Musyoka for the world qualifiers/women &men WC 2023 tournament organized in Turkey under the World Checkers Federation and International Draughts Association from 2 to 5 May.

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This will be the first time the grandmaster will be competition overseas after his invite to play at the 2021 World Qualifiers Tournament and the US Open set for Vidor, Texas and Tusla, Oklahoma respectively fell through.

“I am happy to be making this trip alongside the two players. We will bring this trophy home,” the painter by profession said ahead of the trip to Turkey.

Players from over 15 countries will be represented with some of the players expected to give the Kenyan Team a run for their money drawn from America, Britain, Italy, Barbados, Irish and South Africa.

“Goj has, on several occasioned, been invited to some elite international competitions but has unfortunately missed out on such for various reasons. We are delighted to see him, alongside another great player in Mwashighadi get the chance to travel for such a competition.

I know for a fact the two Kenyans will be star attractions in this competition as many international players have always wanted to go up against Goj.

He played World Draughts champion, South African Lubabalo Kondlo, in a 20-game competition in November 2019. The highly attended class act ended in a stalemate as the two grandmasters played for 18 draws and one win each, a result that adds to the eagerness to face off with the Kenyan in this competition,” Musyoka who travels with the team as a Kenya Draughts official as well offered.