Nation delighted to celebrate success of chess via Olympiad: Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held at Mahabalipuram from July, at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, Woman Grandmaster Koneru Humpy and FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich are alongside him at the ceremony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off the first-ever torch relay for the Chess Olympiad, ahead of the 44th edition which will be held in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, from July 28 to August 10.

FIDE (international chess body) president Arkady Dvorkovich handed over the torch to Modi, who then gave it to the legendary Viswanathan Anand. The torch will be taken to 75 cities in a span of 40 days before arriving in Mahabalipuram near Chennai. At every location, chess grandmasters of the respective state will receive the torch.

Leh, Srinagar, Jaipur, Surat, Mumbai, Bhopal, Patna, Kolkata, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Bengaluru,

Thrissur, Port Blair and Kanniyakumari are among the 75 cities.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi, who made a ceremonial move on the chess board against Woman Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, said: “The first-ever torch relay of the Chess Olympiad is starting in India. It is also the first time India is hosting the big event.

“We are delighted to see chess return to its birth place and are happy to celebrate its success in the form of the Chess Olympiad.” On his part, Dvorkovich said: “I am delighted to start the new tradition (torch relay) in India. The Olympic flame is a symbol of the Olympic movement and friendship. Same with the torch relay. We plan to expand the torch relay to the entire world in the future, but it will always start in India.”

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Siva V Meyyanathan said: “We are well prepared to kick-start the tournament in our state. All the necessary arrangements have been made.”

The ceremony started with the traditional dances of India depicting the 64 squares. The programme also showcased the history of the ancient game, its origin and evolution.