Women Fide Master (WFM) Wadifa Ahmed clinched the Asian Zonal Chess Championship Zone 3.2 title in Colombo, Sri Lanka today to qualify for the upcoming Chess World Cup. 

Winning the championship -- with seven points, drawing with Women International Master (WIM) Rani Hamid in the final and ninth round matches -- earned Wadifa the International Master title. The 17-year-old had already earned two out of the three norms needed for the promotion before coming into the contest.

Rani, meanwhile, became seventh and WFM Anjum placed 12th among 23 players.

In the men's section, IM Manon Reja Neer won the championship in the open section with seven points after drawing against Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan in the ninth round. Neer will now represent Bangladesh in the Chess World Cup.

FM Tahsin Tajwar Zia, who led the table till the sixth round, finished second with 6.5 points after beating Sanuk Nanayakkara but the son of late GM Ziaur Rahman earned an IM norm, his second overall after he secured his first in the last Asian Zonal Championship.