Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the FIDE 44th Chess Olympiad in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin, Indian chess star Viswanathan Anand, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, and others at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
While addressing the audience at the inaugural event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced the Olympiad and said that the 44th Chess Olympiad is being hosted in India, when the country is celebrating 75 years of Independence “from colonial rule”.
He further added that “India’s sporting culture is becoming stronger due to the perfect mix of two important factors. The energy of youth and enabling environment.”
Talking about the importance of the event, he added 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.”
Addressing the players he added that “In sports, there are no losers. There are winners and there are future winners. I wish all the teams and players gathered here the very best,”.
During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was facilitated by Chief Minister MK Stalin. Viswanathan Anand handed over the torch to Prime Minister Modi and CM MK Stalin on stage.
Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand hands over the #ChessOlympiad torch to PM #NarendraModi and Tamil Nadu CM #MKStalin .#openingceremony #PMModi #44thChessOlympiad#ChessOlympiad
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— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) July 28, 2022
PM Modi further talked about the historical connection of Tamil Nadu with chess making it a “powerhouse” of the game. He added that “There are many temples in Tamil Nadu with beautiful sculptures that represent different sports. Tamil Nadu has a strong historical connection with Chess. The state has produced many Chess masters. It’s home to a vibrant culture and the oldest language Tamil, “.