Mandatory State Championship Participation for National Entries – ACA Guidelines
The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) has directed all recognized State Associations to strictly follow the prescribed procedures and maintain proper records of State participation with respect to certification for National and State - District-level events.
On the request of several parents, the President of the Andhra Chess Association (ACA) relaxed the requirement of State Championship participation for National Championship entries last year on special grounds. However, keeping in view the directions of SAAP and the regulations of the ACA, it is hereby informed that henceforth no player will be recommended as donor/special entry to the respective National Championships without participating in the respective State Championship.
While the State Championship position requirement may be relaxed in the case of donor/special entries, participation in the State Championship is mandatory. This rule will not apply to players who are directly seeded into the National Championships as per the National Championship prospectus.
It may also be noted that the State Championships are being scheduled in such a way that they do not clash with any National Championships. Therefore, players and parents are requested to take note of the above changes and plan their participation accordingly.
As per the directions of SAAP, it is pertinent to note that a National participation certificate will be considered invalid if the player has not participated in the respective State Championship, irrespective of whether the players position in the National Championship.
For the convenience of players, the tentative calendar of State Championships has been released. The calendar has been prepared by carefully considering the tentative schedule of National Championships. However, in case there are any changes in the National Championship dates, the State Championship schedule may also be revised if necessary.
Further, all District Chess Associations are requested to conduct District Championships, especially in the Sub-Junior, Junior, and Senior (Men & Women) categories, as these championships are important for players seeking benefits under the sports quota.
It is also important to note that a State participation certificate will be considered invalid if the player has not participated in the respective District-level selections.
All District Associations are therefore advised to conduct the required championships without any deviation and may frame their own district-level regulations in this regard. In case it is not feasible to conduct separate selections in remote districts, the concerned District Associations are advised to conduct at least one open selection tournament, from which players for various **age-group categories may be selected.
If any District Association is unable to conduct the required selections for any reason, players may directly contact the Andhra Chess Association (ACA). In such cases, the ACA will take immediate measures to facilitate the conduct of selection tournaments in the concerned areas to ensure that players are not deprived of an opportunity to participate.
Players, parents, and District Associations are requested to take note of the above guidelines and cooperate in the smooth conduct of the championships.