Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the 44th Chess Olympiad open at a grand function held at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday.
R N Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin, Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and L Murugan, President of International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich, were also present on occasion.
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.
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 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.
PM Modi said that sports are beautiful because it has the inherent power to unite. Sports bring people and societies closer. Sports nurture a spirit of teamwork.
He pointed out that 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", he said.
He added that India's sporting culture is becoming stronger due to the perfect mix of two important factors. The energy of youth and the enabling environment.
The Prime Minister remarked that in sports, there are no losers. There are winners and there are future winners. He wished all the teams and players success in the 44th Chess Olympiad.
( With inputs from ANI )
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