Team Nigeria (Chess) yesterday played their first round game at the ongoing Chess Olympiads with the Male and Female team pitted against much stronger opponents Georgia and Mexico respectively without the presence of three prominent team members. Rabiu Olabisi (Female players) and Abiola Akinseye (Male Player) , The Nigerian Chess federation president and some other officials have not been able to connect a flight from Oslo to Tromso Norway where the 2014 chess Olympiads is taking place. The officials are however making frantic efforts to ensure that the rest of the Nigerian contingent arrive Tromso to join the others as soon as possible, but due to the strain of organizing a huge event such as the Olympiads which is the world's 4th largest event on the transport system, all flights were already booked and they will not be able to get to Tromso until Sunday the 2nd day of August.
The arrival of Abiola Akinseye and Bisi Rabiu on Monday will definitely add more depth to the team. The Nigerian Contingent are not alone in having problems with flight issues, a Top American Grandmaster Hikairu Nakamura will not be arriving Tromso till around the same time forcing the American team to do without him for the first three rounds.
Team Nigeria remains in high spirit that they will fare well in this edition of the Olympiads as the Male and female team faces Togo and Qatar respectively.
very unfortunate but i hope they will soon meet up