PM to inaugurate 44th Chess Olympiad, hails event as “special” tourney
PTI, Jul 28, 2022, 9:49 AM IST
ANI Image
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 44th Chess Olympiad here on Thursday, with the marquee event being hosted by India for the first time.
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister M K Stalin and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur among others will be present during the opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor stadium in the city.
The sporting event will be held in the nearby Mamallapuram, about 50 km from here.
The Olympiad is being held in India for the first time ever, after being moved out of Russia and has attracted a record number of entries in the Open (188) and women’s (162) sections.
Some of the game’s biggest names will match their wits. The Torch relay, after traversing 75 cities in the past 40 days will reach the venue before the official opening.
Modi said he was looking forward to being in the city for the inauguration of the event.
”This is a special tournament and it is our honour that it is being held in India, that too in Tamil Nadu, which has a glorious association with chess,” the PM tweeted.
The tournament will feature three Indian teams each in the Open and women’s events. The legendary Viswanathan Anand will not be playing but will be seen in the role of a mentor to the players.
The Olympiad has captured the imagination of the chess-lovers and general public alike and the Tamil Nadu government has gone all out to promote the showpiece event.
Cutouts of ‘Thambi’, the Olympiad mascot–a knight wearing traditional Tamil attire, could be spotted at various places in the city and near the venue at Mamallapuram as the state government and the All-India Chess Federation (AICF) went on a promotion overdrive.
The Olympiad was moved out of Russia after it invaded neighbouring Ukraine earlier and was allotted to India with Chennai being chosen as the venue.
Players including Anand feel that the city hosting the event would have a great impact on chess in Tamil Nadu.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
People can talk anything they want to, I know my game better: Virat Kohli on his strike rate
IPL 2024: Jacks, Kohli power RCB to easy win over GT
IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans post 200 for 3 against RCB
Pak women’s team players involved in road accident after breaching camp curfew: PCB’s late admission
T20 World Cup: Agarkar to have informal selection meeting with skipper Rohit Sharma in Delhi
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Some countries, institutions want weak govt to make easy profits: PM Modi
People can talk anything they want to, I know my game better: Virat Kohli on his strike rate
Sexual harassment, stalking case registered against ex-minister H D Revanna and his son Prajwal
Reservation row: Congress campaign ‘biggest lie’ of the decade, says Kishan Reddy
BJP trying religious polarisation in Nagaon: Congress candidate Pradyut Bordoloi