The 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad which was organized in a short span of four months capped off with culturally rooted extravagant performances in Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday.
Over 187 countries competed on 700 boards in the tournament. Out of which, India 'B' team settled for a bronze medal after beating Germany 3-1 in the Open section while India 'A' women's side finished third.
The event was graced by Chief Secretary V.Irai Anbu, President of All India Chess Federation, Sanjay Kapoor, and GM Viswanathan Anand. CM Stalin was also present at the event and felicitated India’s first ever International Grand Master Manuel Aaron for his contribution to India’s chess.
CM Stalin’s Address
Presiding over the closing ceremony, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said the state government has been implementing several schemes under the 'Dravidian model,' to make the state a pioneer in sports.
CM Stalin talked about making Tamil Nadu a global destination for sports.
"To identify and encourage medal winners at Olympics, the Tamil Nadu government is to launch and implement the ‘Olympic Gold Quest’ program for Rs. 25 crores. Boxing academies are to be set up at Gopalapuram and North Chennai and a dedicated arena is to be established for Tamil Nadu’s traditional bull-taming sport, jallikattu," said Stalin.
He further added that their government is taking steps to host Chennai Open Women Tennis Association (WTA) International Championship and Asian Beach Games in Tamil Nadu. He also added about their efforts to Tamil Nadu a global destination of sports and their focus on taking traditional sports to the global forum.
Stunning display of Tamil Nadu’s heritage
The Sequel of the inaugural ceremony’s performance, illustrating the history of Tamil Nadu in the voice of Kamal Hasan, was narrated.
The spectacular dance drama 'Tamizh Mann' was presented, capturing the sacrifices of freedom fighters from the state.
Many artists also performed dance dramas on the “evolution of the sports in Tamil Nadu”. It featured jallikattu, kannamoochi (hide and seek), udal vithai vilaiyattu (gymnastics), kabaddi, and sathurangam (chess).
Stars of American Idol Performance
American Idol fame V. Unbeatable too graced the event with a stunning performance.
Flag Ceromany
The flag of FIDE was handed over to Hungary, who will host the next edition.
The next edition will be conducted from 10th September to 23rd September 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.
