She’s one in every of a form within the nineteenth Asian Video games!
Historical past was made on the nineteenth Asian Video games! The game within the highlight, chess, is making an official comeback for the primary time in 13 years.
Apart from this, one athlete is gaining consideration for making historical past because of her age. That is none apart from 11-year outdated Kim Sarang, a chess prodigy who’s representing South Korea on the ongoing continent-wide occasion. She is the youngest chess nationwide consultant of South Korea, not solely at current however in its total historical past!
Kim Sarang grew up in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. She began enjoying chess on the tender age of seven years outdated, instantly loving its mental nature.
In 2019, whereas she was within the 2nd grade at Yangpyeong Dong Elementary Faculty, she had her first encounter with chess by after-school actions whereas attending a Baduk (Go) class. At the moment, her Baduk trainer launched chess to her for enjoyable, and she or he discovered it extremely gratifying. She obtained hooked as a result of in contrast to Baduk, every chess piece has distinctive features, which attracted her to the sport.
— Namu Wiki
It was clear from the beginning that she was a chess prodigy. She was shortly singled out from her batch for her quick-thinking nature.
Kim Sarang is thought for having an distinctive memorization means. Within the first grade of elementary college, she managed to memorize all 700 characters of the lyrics that commemorate 100 excellent figures in Korean historical past after listening to them solely 5 instances. This outstanding reminiscence is a priceless asset in chess, because it permits her to recollect and calculate quite a few transfer prospects, which is essential for making strategic selections.
— Namu Wiki
Her mother and father had been all too comfortable to help her apparent expertise within the recreation. They even made a drastic resolution to dwell an hour and a half away simply so their daughter might have extra time to apply.
She started growing her expertise by commuting between her residence in Yangpyeong and a chess academy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Nonetheless, the space between her residence in Yangpyeong and the Seoul academy was about an hour and a half by automotive. To help her dedication to chess, Kim Sarang’s mother and father even moved to Seoul in 2020.
— Namu Wiki
This sacrifice paid off nearly instantly. Kim Sarang shortly made a reputation for herself on a nationwide degree, successful competitions left and proper. At simply ten years outdated, she even earned the official title “WCM (Girl Candidate Grasp).”
Simply three months after beginning, she started successful gold medals at nationwide competitions. Within the 2021 World Youth Thoughts Sports activities Truthful home choice occasion, she and her youthful brother, Kim Donghan, each superior to the worldwide finals by securing first place of their respective classes.
In 2022, they participated collectively within the East Asian Youth Chess Championships held in Thailand. Kim Sarang received the silver medal within the particular person class, whereas her brother Kim Donghan earned a bronze medal within the group competitors. Kim Sarang’s achievement on this event allowed her to provisionally purchase the WCM (Girl Candidate Grasp) title, a prestigious chess title. This recognition marked one of many highest-ever achievements by a Korean participant in home chess, elevating expectations for her wonderful efficiency within the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Video games.
In preparation for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Video games and with a want to signify her college, the place she first began enjoying chess, Kim Sarang transferred again to Yangpyeong.— Namu Wiki
It was additionally in 2022 when she was added to the roster of the South Korean nationwide chess group for the nineteenth Asian Video games. Formally, she “holds the document for the youngest chess nationwide consultant in South Korea’s historical past.”
On the age of 11, within the sixth grade of elementary college, Kim Sarang was chosen as a chess consultant for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Video games. She is the youngest athlete among the many 867 nationwide representatives collaborating within the Hangzhou Asian Video games and holds the document for the youngest chess nationwide consultant in South Korea’s historical past.
— Namu Wiki
Apparently, Kim Sarang already is aware of that she doesn’t wish to pursue chess long-term. She already has her eyes set on in the future turning into the nation’s Minister of Nationwide Protection!
When requested about her future aspirations, she expressed her want to change into the Minister of Nationwide Protection. Her deep appreciation for Yu Gwan Solar, whom she discovered about whereas getting ready for the first Yeowunhyung Speech Contest hosted by Yangpyeong County in her second 12 months at Yangpyeong Elementary Faculty, impressed her to set a purpose of turning into somebody who protects the nation.
— Namu Wiki
For now, nevertheless, she is busy exhibiting the world that she has what it takes to make it huge in chess.
The nineteenth Asian Video games can be held from September 23 to October 8.