Goa | July 3, 2022
The first ever chess Olympiad Torch Relay receives a warm welcome today in Goa. In the presence of Goa’s first lady Grandmaster Bhakti Kulkarni, Grandmaster Anurag Mahamal handed over the Chess Olympiad torch to Sports Minister Govind Gaude. Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Vinay Tendulkar, Regional Director of Sports Authority of India Smt. Sushmita Jyotsi, Director of Sports Ajay Gaude were present on this occasion.
Addressing the event, Sports Minister Govind Gaude said that, with the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chess Olympiad torch is being carried in 75 cities of the country, as the nation is celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. It is a matter of pride for Goans that the state is included in this list. The ‘Khelo India’ initiative helped in the search for talented players from across the country. Sports culture is reaching to grass root level in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In this way, the chess Olympiad torch relay will help in creating awareness about the game of chess in the villages, added the Sports Minister.
Chess players like Bhakti Kulkarni, Anurag Mahamal and Leon Mendosa from the state have made the country famous at the international level. Taking inspiration from Bhakti Kulkarni, girls from the state will get attracted towards sports, said Govind Gaude.
Goan Bhakti Kulkarni is participating in the India-A team in the Chess Olympiad. The Sports Minister wished her all the best on behalf of Goans on this occasion.
Grandmaster Anurag Mahamal arrived in Goa this morning from Mumbai with a Chess Olympiad torch. Afterwards the torch was brought to the Kranti Maidan at Ponda. The torch was brought to the Rajiv Gandhi Kala Mandir from Kranti Maidan with traditional ‘Ghode Modni and Divli’ dance. A large number of students from various schools and colleges, NSS volunteers and NCC cadets participated in the procession.
Grand Master Anurag Mahamal gets the honour to take the Chess Olympiad torch from Goa to Madhya Pradesh.
About the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay
India has been the first-ever country to start the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay as per the Olympic tradition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the historic torch relay at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi on 19th June 2022 and handed it over to Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand
Since its launch, the torch has travelled to iconic locations including Red Fort in Delhi, Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, the Attari Border in Amritsar, the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow and Dandi in Gujarat among others.
Hosts India is fielding 20 players at the Olympiad being held at Mahabalipuram, near Chennai. With 188 countries registered for the Olympiad, India is set to witness a huge congregation of nations for a sporting event for the first time on Indian soil.
Chess, as we know it today, traces its origin to the Indian game of Chaturanga, dating back to 6th century CE. The game spread throughout Asia and Europe over the coming centuries, and eventually evolved into what we know as chess around the 16th century.
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R.Tidke/S.Thakur/PK
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