Commonwealth Games begin in Birmingham
The Commonwealth Games are also starting from today in Birmingham. Prime Minister Modi said, ‘Today is a good day for international sports. The 44th Chess Olympiad is starting here and thousands of players are participating in the Commonwealth Games in Britain. I wish all the best to all the players gathered here. I hope you will go with good memories of India. India will always welcome you from an open day.
He said, ‘No one loses in sports. There are winners and there are future winners. The Chess Olympiad is being held at Mamallapuram, 50 km from the venue. For the first time, Olympiad is being held in India and record players are participating in it. There will be 188 players in the open category and 162 players in the women’s category. Its torch relay has reached here through 75 cities in the last 40 days.
Chess Olympiad organized for the first time in India
He further said, ‘In the 44th chess tournament, in many ways, many things are happening for the first time. This is happening for the first time in India, the birthplace of chess. This is happening in Asia for the first time in three decades. For the first time, maximum number of countries and teams are participating in it. In this, the maximum number of entries have been received in the women’s section and for the first time the torch relay has been held in chess.
He said, ‘This Chess Olympiad will always be in everyone’s memory. In the 75th year of our independence, the torch has covered 27000 kms in 75 cities. It inspired the youth to play chess and it is a matter of pride that the torch relay of Chess Olympiad will always start from India. On behalf of every Indian, I thank FIDE for this.
On the relationship between Tamil Nadu and chess, which has given India many great players including Viswanathan Anand, he said, “Sports has always been revered in our culture. There is also a temple of Chaturanga Vallabhnathan in Tamil Nadu and this temple has an interesting story related to chess that God also used to play chess. He said, “Tamil Nadu has a special connection with chess and it is the chess superpower in India that has given many grandmasters to the country. It is home to the best of minds, vibrant culture and Tamil, the oldest language in the world. Hope you get time to visit Chennai, Mahabalipuram and surrounding areas.
India got host instead of Russia
Emphasizing on the development of sports culture in the country, Prime Minister Modi said, ‘After Corona, we understood the importance of mental and physical health. This is the reason why there is a need to promote sports talent and develop sports culture in the country. “There is no better time for sports in India than this. India did its best in Olympics, Paralympics, Deaf Olympics and also shine in new sports.
He said that the sports culture of India is getting stronger and for this the credit goes to the energy of the youth and the conducive environment they are getting. Players are coming from the grassroots level and it is heartening that women are leading the sports revolution. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, Chief Minister MK Stalin and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur were also present on the occasion.
Sports Minister Thakur said, “It was not easy to organize this tournament in just three months. No one in the world can do it but India has done it. The Olympiad was to be held in Russia but was stripped of its hosting after Russia’s military attack on Ukraine. India got its host on occasion. In the tournament, three teams from India will compete in the Open and Women’s categories. The great chess player Viswanathan Anand is not playing but will be in the role of mentor to the players.