A male chess player Stanley Omondi, who disguised himself in a hijab to play in the women's division of the 2023 Kenya Open Chess Championship, is facing a protracted suspension from the game.
Upon receiving a formal complaint from the Executive Committee of the Bernard Wanjala-led federation, according to Victor Ng'ani, the Chess Kenya Disciplinary Committee will begin investigating the situation.
If the committee finds Omondi guilty of the offence, Ng'ani said he wouldn't be barred from sports for life but predicted a lengthy suspension.
He didn't interact with other gamers as much as the others did. Omondi, who entered the competition under the name Millicent Awuor, only raised questions after he easily defeated Uganda's top player Ampaira Shakira (1702) and Gloria Jumba, a past champion of the women's division of the Kenya National Chess Championship (rated 1487).
The local chess players who were taking part in the competition began to wonder where "she" had been at past significant national chess competitions.
Omondi disguised herself in a hijab to compete in the ladies' division of the competition, which attracted 444 players from 22 nations in the incident that stunned both the local and international chess communities. Nairobi's Sarit Expo Center hosted the competition from April 5 to April 10.
He completely covered his head, face, and eyes, and the small opening that showed his eyes was covered by spectacles.
He only acknowledged being a man after being questioned by the tournament's arbiters in a secret room. He also claimed that his university's financial issues drove him to cheat in the competition.
The Sh500,000 cash prize for the female section winner was something he had planned to take home.
He had no chance of winning the Open Section, which featured seven Grandmasters, seven International Masters, seven Fide Masters, and five Candidate Masters.
He had no chance of winning the Open Section, which featured seven Grandmasters, seven International Masters, seven Fide Masters, and five Candidate Masters.
Omondi refused to elaborate on the incident when reached by Nation Sport, simply saying that he was waiting to defend himself before the Chess Kenya Disciplinary Committee.
Although he started playing chess at an early age, he acknowledged that he was a good player.
He represents a prestigious university in the Kenya National Chess Premier League, according to Nation Sport, and has a rating of approximately 1200.
Jumba claimed she didn't see anything suspicious about him.
