Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur handed over the Chess Olympiad torch to Hungary, the official host of the 45th Chess Olympiad in New Delhi.
The transfer ceremony took place at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Anurag Thakur also played a friendly chess match with Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand against FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Hungarian Grandmaster Judit Polgar. He then handed over the Olympiad torch to the President of FIDE and Budapest.
Anurag Thakur said on the occasion, “We decided to organize the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay a few years back and it has become a reality and I am happy to be present here at the torch transfer ceremony for the Chess Olympiad”.
‘Chess’ is an intellectual heritage that India offers to the world and is not just a game, but a reflection of strategic depth and philosophical wisdom. Apart from sharpening the mind, this sport also teaches invaluable lessons of patience and resilience. It also takes the player on the path of intellectual pursuit of tactical mastery,” he said.
The 44th Chess Olympiad was held in Chennai in 2022. At that time, more than 2,500 athletes and 7,000 people participated in this world championship. The next FIDE Chess Olympiad will now be held in Budapest, Hungary this year and will be officially announced early this year.
The first Chess Olympiad torch relay was launched on 19 June 2022 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi in a ceremony by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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