Before the first move was played, the traditional technical meeting set quite a tone, though not the one anyone expected. MCA President Nooh Ali took the mic and delivered what can only be described as a masterclass in political monologue.

In short, he basically said:

He’s running things great.
He doesn’t have a PhD. 🤣
He’s fully committed after quitting his job.

And… well, bla bla bla.

Some might call it inspiring; others might call it… let’s just say “off-topic.” 

It was the kind of speech that left players wondering whether they were at a chess meeting or a campaign rally.

At one point, he even tried to change the schedule again, claiming a day off was needed for the Junior Championship closing ceremony, and proposed to add double rounds on another day to “compensate.” Players were understandably frustrated and rightly so. It’s incompetent management when players still don’t know the exact schedule the night before the tournament starts.

And this wasn’t a one-time act. Nooh gave a nearly identical speech during the Junior Chess Championship, where even parents were left puzzled and laughing at how disconnected it was from the event. Honestly, he seems like the one who needs to go back to school — not to study chess, but to learn how to actually run a federation.