FInal Medal Standings of the World Youth Championships 2008

Sunday, 02 November 2008 05:27

Vietnam had the youngest World Champion! As expected - given the grandeur of the opening ceremony and both the unforgettable social and talent night followed by the cultural show - the World Youth Championships 2008 closed with a quite unforgettable prize giving and closing ceremony. India, perhaps inspired by the exploits of their national hero V. Anand who retained his World Champion title against V. Kramnik of Russia in a match held at the same time, was easily the most dominant performer in Vung Tau, Vietnam and the host nation was of course a most popular and worthy overall second finisher.  There is no doubt that Vietnam has set new standards for the hosting of the World Youth Championships and would be a hard act to follow. Despite some initial hitches when Vung Tau was simply overwhelmed by the demands of the largest sports event ever held in this beautiful seaside resort destination, the warmth and hospitality of the Vietnam people certainly made the participants stay most memorable indeed. All games are now available for at www.chessasia.net and there are photo galleries for download there as well as at the official website www.wycc2008.vietnamchess.com/index.php.