NE SPORTS BUREAU
CHENNAI, JULY 28
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared open the 44th Chess Olympiad at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand accompanied the PM on stage. Anand handed over the chess torch, that travelled across the nation, to Modi and Stalin.
“There has never been a better time for sports in India than the present. India had its best-ever performances in the Olympics, Paralympics and Deaflympics. We achieved glory even in sports where we had not won earlier. In sports, there are no losers. There are winners and there are future winners,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
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Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed all the players and chess lovers from all over the world to India. He noted the significance of the time of the event as it falls during the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. He added that the most prestigious tournament in chess has come to India, the home of chess.
It’s an incredibly momentous & historic occasion for India, the land where the game of chess originated, to host the♟Chess Olympiad!
I welcome all the participants from 187 countries and wish them the very best !
PM @narendramodi declared the 44th #ChessOlympiad22 Open! pic.twitter.com/8jXjydEY5o
— Anurag Thakur (मोदी का परिवार) (@ianuragthakur) July 28, 2022
The Prime Minister noted that the 44th Chess Olympiad has been a tournament of many firsts and records. This is the first time the Chess Olympiad is being held in the place of origin of chess, India. It is coming to Asia for the first time in 3 decades. It has the highest ever number of countries participating. It has the highest ever number of teams participating. It has the highest number of entries in the women’s section. The first ever Torch Relay of the Chess Olympiad started this time, he said.
The inaugural ceremony of the 44th Chess Olympiad was graced with the presence of some big dignitaries in the form of the Honourable Prime Minister of India @narendramodi, the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, @mkstalin and a host of other ministers
#ChessChennai2022 pic.twitter.com/ORvwKIADXE
— Sports Tamil Nadu (@SportsTN_) July 28, 2022
The Prime Minister highlighted that Tamil Nadu has a strong historical connection with chess. This is why it is a chess powerhouse for India. It has produced many of India’s chess grandmasters. It is home to the finest minds, vibrant culture and the oldest language in the world, Tamil.
#WATCH PM Narendra Modi arrives in Chennai, to declare open the 44th Chess Olympiad shortly
(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/oBElmIxiey
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022
Earlier, on his arrival at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a warm welcome with performances by musicians and percussionists all along the route he took by road to reach the venue, the Nehru stadium. Modi sported a shawl and dhothi with a chessboard design border. Stalin wore a silk-like yellow shirt, dhothi and an ‘Angavastra’ (shawl).
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin felicitates Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening ceremony of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai pic.twitter.com/bjCkBO7XuI
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022
BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit’s art and culture wing organised music and traditional dances to welcome Modi. Petals were showered on Modi’s car by enthusiastic supporters, who gathered on both sides of the road while he was on his way to the stadium from INS Adyar.
In the stadium, sand artist Sarvam Patel created magic with his skill by interspersing ancient Mamallapuram shore temple, the game of chess and the host nation India, besides that of Prime Minister Modi and Stalin.
During his address Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur said that India is the land where the game of chess originated and it’s a pride moment for us to see India hosting this prestigious event for the first time in the history. Union Minister added that 40 days ago, the first ever torch relay of the Chess Olympiad was handed over to the Prime Minister, who then handed it over to our chess legend Vishwanathan Anand. Torch Relay travelled to 75 icon places as the country celebrates 75th years of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav.
Being the host, India is set to field 20 players – their biggest ever contingent – at the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad. India is entitled to field 2 teams each in the Open and Women’s category. Over 2,000 participants will be representing at the event from 188 countries, highest in the history of the Chess Olympiad. The 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad is bring held in Chennai from July 28 to August 10, 2022.
Superstar Rajinikanth was among the star invitees who were present.
RN Ravi, Governor Tamil Nadu, and Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting L Murugan, President of International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich were also present on the occasion.
