The 4th Sports Hub Junior Rapid Chess Tournament 2026 (Under-16 Category) was successfully held on 5th June 2026 under the patronage of the Bahrain Chess Federation. The event was organized by Sports Hub in association with Arjun’s Chess Academy and powered by Oasis Mall, Juffair.
The tournament witnessed strong competition from talented young chess players across Bahrain. After six exciting rounds, Noel Abraham Punnoose emerged as the Champion, scoring 5 points out of 6 rounds. Due to tie-breaks, Vaishnav Sumesh, who also scored 5 points, secured the Runner-Up position.
Top 10 Final Standings – Under 16
🥇 Champion: Noel Abraham Punnoose – 5/6
🥈 Runner-Up: Vaishnav Sumesh – 5/6
🥉 3rd Place: Rudra Desai – 4½/6
🏅 4th Place: Sriram Palaniappan – 4½/6
🏅 5th Place: AFM Navaneeth Krishna K P – 4½/6
🏅 6th Place: Jairam Kannappan – 4½/6
🏅 7th Place: Danial Mohamed Alkhalidi – 4½/6
🏅 8th Place: Trishan Moorkoth – 4½/6
🏅 9th Place: Aditya Agrawal – 4/6
🏅 10th Place: Sanidhya Kumar – 4/6
👧 Best Girl Prize: Gunjan Pal – 3½/6
The organizers congratulated all the prize winners and participants for their excellent performance and sportsmanship throughout the tournament. The championship provided a valuable platform for young players to showcase their talent and gain competitive experience.
Sports Hub and Arjun’s Chess Academy extend their sincere gratitude to the Bahrain Chess Federation, Oasis Mall Juffair, players, parents, and supporters for making the event a grand success. ♟️🏆