THE KONDLO AFFAIR!!

[tommyc]

An unemployed draughts player from New Brighton township in Port Elizabeth has shocked the draughts world with a string of international victories, including the US Open Checkers (draughts) Championship title.

But true to South African sporting tradition, internal politics kept him from joining the South African team going to the World Mind Sports Games this month in Beijing.

South Africa's best hope of winning a medal at the Games by far, Lubabalo Kondlo was left out of the team for not belonging to the officially recognised Mind Sports South Africa association (MSSA) and for failing to take part in pre-games trials.

A long-standing personality clash between MSSA president Colin Webster and Kondlo seems to be the reason two apparently minor players, Thabo Makuna and Lebogang Shibambu, will represent South Africa in Beijing instead of Kondlo.

He has just returned from the United Sates, where he drew 23 games against the world champion and lost one. He recently attained grandmaster status and was ranked number seven in the world even before his latest successes.

Thirty-six-year-old Kondlo has been playing draughts since the age of seven in the obscurity of New Brighton township, where he was raised single-handedly by his mother who scraped together a living as a casual domestic worker.

"Draughts is so popular in Port Elizabeth that people play it everywhere on the streets," he says. His talent was spotted early on by the local draughts enthusiasts and he was urged to join a club as a teenager, which probably saved him from a life of crime, he says. As a mind sport, the game requires high levels of concentration and therefore does not form part of the shebeen culture of the township.

With only a matric to his name, he has not had a job apart from a short stint as a manual labourer on a building site, which he had to give up because of an old rugby injury.

In search of more challenging opponents and work he headed for Gauteng, where he stayed at an Orlando West hotel -- popular among black Gauteng draughts players. He played so well that the owner of the hotel gave him free accommodation for a few years in return for "raising the level of the club" there. He studied draughts books borrowed from the Johannesburg library.


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Kondlo caught international attention in 1999 when the long-standing world champion, Ron King from Barbados, toured South Africa and was beaten by Kondlo six games to two. Kondlo admits that King, who was recovering from an accident, was not in top form. But in 2001 the then number-two player in the world, Irishman Hugh Devlin, toured South Africa and was also beaten by Kondlo, who officially represented South Africa in Protea colours.

But then the relationship between Kondlo and Webster soured. Kondlo says he was blocked by Webster from taking part in international championships and tours.

Webster, who is sponsoring the air tickets to Beijing, says Kondlo's obstinate refusal to join a club affiliated to the MSSA, the official governing body of draughts in South Africa, and his absence at the trials made it impossible for the MSSA to select him. It is considered unfair towards other members of the association. Kondlo, on the other hand, claims that an obtuse insistence on bureaucratic correctness has thwarted his previous attempts at joining the MSSA.

Webster says that after the Test match against Devlin, "Lubabalo disappeared. He came back this year in January and he said he wants to go to Beijing and we said 'look, we have procedures, we've done the trials, you're not even a member'."

But Kondlo had meanwhile caught the attention of the World Checkers and Draughts Federation in the US,(The ACF!!!)(tc) which invited him to participate in the US Open in July last year. He won the title, as well as a world championship qualifier, which allowed him to challenge King in Ohio this month.

His achievements are all the more remarkable for not having a computer on which to practise -- standard gear for the world's top players. But he believes that his success is because of the high-level play among the enthusiasts in Port Elizabeth, many of whom remain undiscovered because of the lack of formal development of the game. "There are guys here in Port Elizabeth, we are on the same level; it's like I win today, I lose tomorrow," he says.

Kondlo usually studies the game for six hours a day at the New Brighton library. He lives mostly at an aunt's tiny council house, which is shared among more than a dozen people, making it hard to practise at home.

When he isn't preparing for matches, Kondlo teaches draughts at local schools. He dreams of starting his own draughts academy to develop local talent and help fight the misconception that draughts is less of a mental challenge than chess. "I think chess and draughts are equal."

Competitive draughts has a strong psychological component to it, says Kondlo. "For you to become a good player you have to read [your opponent's] mind, how he thinks."

Kondlo says he was desperate to represent South Africa in Beijing and had secured a US sponsor to pay for the trip were he allowed to go. He says he was even offered an opportunity to play for the US, but turned it down out of loyalty to South Africa.

About the MSSA, he says: "I wanted to join the organisation. Before last year [Webster] would play hide-and-seek with me. I would send him forms and when I tried to fax him forms [he would say] the forms are wrong." Earlier this year, when he played in a tournament in Johannesburg, he asked Webster for the correct forms, but their interaction ended with Webster accusing Kondlo of "bad-mouthing" him in the US, he says. Webster, on the other hand, claims he has constantly urged Kondlo to join.

The World Mind Sports Games from October 3 to 18 is the first of what could become a regular fixture alongside the Olympic Games. A total of 35 gold medals will go to the winners in five mind sports: chess, bridge, draughts, the Chinese board game go and a Chinese form of chess called xiang qi, which is the only code in which South Africa will not be represented.

TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE............. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-10-03- ... g-omission

[Alan Millhone]

Hi Tommy:

Appreciate you posting this. Lubabalo emailed me today (about once a week) as he has to travel to an internet cafe some miles from his home to email me. He is still awaiting forms he needs to complete to join the MSSA (Mind Sports South Africa). To date no forms. I have written officials in SA requesting the forms and indicated I will pay his membership fee. To date I have heard nothing from anyone . I first met Lubabalo for the Vegas GAYP Nationals and then at the WCDF World Qualifier and then I had the honor of being match referee for his match with Ron " Suki " King. Lubabalo was my house guest for two weeks and Vickie and myself loved having him in our home. He is rated # 7 on the World Ratings and hope he can get the forms he needs to join MSSA and thus represent South Africa as the world class Grandmaster that he is.

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation

[Alan Millhone]

Hello John:

Mr. Webster sees me as a meddler in South African affairs and has stopped communicating with me. My last email to him I asked for an attachment that I had once (lost it somewhere) that was the MSSA application. I was going to print it off and forward to Kondlo. After several more requests I have quit emailing Mr. Webster. The forms were to be in Lubabalo's hands from Mr. Webster a month or so ago. To date nothing has arrived. When Kondlo was at my home I explained to him what " Catch 22 " was. Mr. Webster does not like me for attempting to promote Draughts/Checkers in all corners of the globe,and sees me as a meddler for helping GM Kondlo. South Africa sad to say, did not send even one player to represent them in Beijing.

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation
" LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND "

[tommyc]

So it seems Kondlos version of events were true and Webster is still stone-walling him and Alan and white supremecy is still living and well in S.A,even in the game of draughts? ::::What a sad indictmented to man!!!.

About the MSSA, he says: "I wanted to join the organisation. Before last year [Webster] would play hide-and-seek with me. I would send him forms and when I tried to fax him forms [he would say] the forms are wrong." Earlier this year, when he played in a tournament in Johannesburg, he asked Webster for the correct forms, but their interaction ended with Webster accusing Kondlo of "bad-mouthing" him in the US, he says. Webster, on the other hand, claims he has constantly urged Kondlo to join.

[Alan Millhone]

Hello Tommy:

I am already viewed as a trouble maker by some in South Africa . The players from around the globe who read these postings on Mr. Kondlo will have to draw their own conclusions. Admittedly there is some bad blood between Mr. Webster and Mr. Kondlo and now myself and Mr. Webster. It is a shame in my opinion to not allow Mr. Kondlo join MSSA and thus represent South Africa as a top Draughts Grand-Master.

Sincerely:
Alan MIllhone, President
American Checker Federation

[tommyc]

Well thats the whole idea Alan..................its a power struggle, and Webster thinks he is the power.Control freaks get involved in these organisations to excert the maximum personal power that top up their own lack of self-esteem.!! Sad but true.

[tommyc]

Well Webster has had plenty of time to defend himself and has chosen not to do so which implies that he stands guilty as charged of holding Kondlo down for his own personal satisfaction............but people like me born free, dont subscribe to his political warfare and back stabbing...........i hope no one makeS him look good by sending any team to S.A.

[tommyc]

You might remember the Kondlo affair ............quote"......

In recent conversation it seems six months later.......Lubabalo he has NOT received any paperwork from Mr. Webster for joining MSSA.Which begs a few questions (1) why is that.?? (2)why is that.?and (3) surprise surprise,......why is that??

Someone is lieing here ?? i wonder who that is........Colin Webster may be a law onto himself in S.A. draughts but not in the real world that we live in and while you may not like the bully boy tactics of the man you would have to admit you ve seen them on some school playground in you time.

The world has become a smaller place and the likes of Ian Smith are long gone (thank god)even if he was installed by the British to mantain white rule there its a pity no one told Webster that the war is over.If the man has any self-pride he will come out and offer an explanation and put things right ,if not he should be exposed for what he is.??

I would urge any right thinking man to have nothing to do with this person in his mis-treatment of Lubablo Kondlo/

[Colin Webster]

I hate to say that tommyc (whoever he is) has no grasp of the issue at all, and Alan, well what can I say.....

As I have explained several times to Alan telephonically:

1. There is absolutely no personality clash whatsoever between myself and Lubabalo (and since Alan thinks that there is some sort of clash between myself and himself - he is mistaken on that issue too). Please remember that Mind Sports South Africa is a recognised Association by the South African Olympic Committee and is governed by a Committee – not just by an individual!

2. Lubabalo is welcome (as we have all told him many, many times) to affiliate, but he must do it the same way as any other player.

3. I have e-mailed several copies of the necessary forms to Lubabalo (and also to Alan) to no avail as well as posting the documentation per ‘snail-mail’ on three occasions.

4. I would also like to point out that I have dutifully answered every e-mail that I have received from Alan, whereas Alan has, as yet, to answer many of the questions that I have asked of him.

5. If anybody wishes to ask me questions directly, they are more than welcome, and if anyone wants to impugn my character, I will be in the USA in June 2009 so you can do it to my face, and not from behind the safety and anonymity of your keyboard.

Since it seems as though Lubabalo is claiming not to have received the forms, I shall post him another copy (per registered post).

That is the best that I can do….

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Thanks for detail answer, Colin ! It makes it clear now. I think the case is close and I wish Lubabalo good luck to complete applecation. If you post application in Internet - we can help Lubabalo to answer questions.

Colin, In what part of USA you will be in June and it will be a private visit or somehow related to business / checkers ?

An author of previous post about Lubabalo is Tommy Canning, strong checkers mail player from Ireland and author of classic book about new openings.

Regards,

Alex Moiseyev

[Colin Webster]

Dear Alex

Thank you for your reply.

I will be in Washington DC for a bit of business and pleasure.

Best regards

Colin