Kabarak University proudly celebrates Mercy Cherono, one of our outstanding students from the School of Education, Humanities & Social Sciences, for her historic achievement at the World Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Cherono was part of Kenya’s Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Chess Team, which made history by winning the bronze medal, a first for the nation at this prestigious global event.
In an extraordinary personal milestone, Mercy became the only woman to win a medal in the entire tournament, and notably, the first-ever Kenyan to earn a medal at any Chess Olympiad. Her performance also marked a continental triumph, as she emerged as the only African woman medalist in the championship.
Rated 1678, Cherono tied on 5/6 points with Salamon Julia (1976) of Poland and Ali Mohamed (1984) of Egypt on Board 4, ultimately clinching the bronze medal on tiebreak. She recorded remarkable victories against Yegembayeva Yenlik (Panama), Parkhomovich Iryna (Russia), Munoz Rodriguez Alba Cristal (Panama), Arsova Marija (North Macedonia), and Belal Alshehh Hamad (UAE).
Cherono, who is set to graduate from Kabarak University later this year, is the reigning 2024 African PWD Women’s Champion and the 2025 Kenya National PWD Champion, solidifying her position among Kenya’s top female chess players.
The Kenyan contingent to the Olympiad included:
- Otieno Ronny (Visually Impaired – VI)
- Cherono Mercy (Physically Handicapped – PH)
Speaking after her win, Cherono expressed her gratitude to her coaches, teammates, and supporters, saying the tournament “proved that determination, discipline, and faith can break barriers and rewrite history.”
Kabarak University congratulates Mercy Cherono on this remarkable accomplishment and commends her for representing the University, Kenya, and Africa with distinction.
