Two young chess players, Momin Fayzan and 11-year-old Aayat Asmi, have secured international titles at the 45th Chess Olympiad for Pakistan. The international event held in Budapest, Hungary, began on September 10 and concluded on September 23.
This prestigious event marked Pakistan’s return to the global chess stage after an eight-year hiatus, and the team’s performance has been nothing short of inspiring.
Momin Fayzan, competing in the open section, scored 6.5 points out of a possible 11, earning him the Candidate Master (CM) title. Meanwhile, Aayat Asmi, the youngest member of the team, played in the women’s division and achieved a score of 5 out of 10, qualifying her for the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title.
The president of the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP), Hanif Qureshi expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “I am very satisfied with the results of Aayat and Momin in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary,” he told Express Tribune. He praised the players, their parents, and FIDE for supporting their participation in international competitions. Qureshi also highlighted the federation’s recent accolade, the Best Chess Federation Excellence Award in Asia.
Aayat’s mother, Sidra Butt, expressed her pride in her daughter’s achievement. “Of course, I feel very happy and excited. She has worked very hard to be here,” she said.
Other members of the Pakistani team also delivered commendable performances. In the open section, Mafaaz Khalid, FM Amer Karim, and Mudasir Iqbal scored 5, 5.5, and 3 points, respectively. In the women’s section, Sehba Shah, WCM Zenobia Wasif, and WCM Mehak Gul scored 4, 5, and 6.5 out of 11, respectively.
