India has come down heavily on Pakistan for pulling out of the Chess Olympiad in Tamil Nade, and has accused them of "politicising" the sporting event.
Hours after Pakistan announced its withdrawal over the Olympiad's torch relay passing through Jammu and Kashmir, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was "highly unfortunate" that Pakistan has "politicised" the prestigious international event.
Bagchi asserted that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "have been, are, and will remain an integral part of India.
"It was the politicisation of the event," Bagchi said, referring to Pakistan's decision.
Pakistan was invited by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to participate in the 44th Chess Olympiad being held in Mamallapuram near Chennai from July 28 to August 10.
"It is surprising that Pakistan has suddenly taken the decision of not participating in the FIDE Chess Olympiad, particularly after the team has already reached India," Bagchi said.
The spokesperson was responding to questions on Pakistan's decision to boycott the Olympiad, citing the torch relay of the event passing through Jammu and Kashmir.
"It is highly unfortunate that Pakistan has politicised the prestigious international event by making such statements and withdrawing its participation," he said.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Foreign Ministry announced its decision to boycott the Olympiad.
"Pakistan condemns India's mischievous attempt to mix politics with sports. As a protest, Pakistan has decided not to participate in the 44th Chess Olympiad and will also raise the matter with the International Chess Federation at the highest level," it said in a statement.
To a separate question, Bagchi said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) is part of India, and it rejects any comment that does not "reflect this reality".
185 countries around the world will compete in the event. While the tournament's first round is scheduled for the 29th of July, the opening ceremony is on the 28th of July, Thursday. The tournament will conclude with the 11th round on the 9th of August.
Here is all you need to know about the Olympiad:
- What is the venue of the Chess Olympiad 2022?
The Chess Olympiad 2022 will be played at the Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- Where to watch the Chess Olympiad 2022 on TV?
The Chess Olympiad 2022 will be telecasted by Doordarshan on TV.
- Where to watch the Chess Olympiad 2022 online?
The live streaming of matches will be available on the YouTube channels of Chessbase India and FIDE.
- What are the Indian teams participating in the Chess Olympiad 2022?
Men's team:
A: Vidit S Gujrathi, P Harikrishna, Arjun Erigaisi, S L Narayanan, K Sasikiran.
B: Nihal Sarin, D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, B Adhiban, Raunak Sadhwani.
C: Surya Shekhar Ganguly, S P Sethuraman, Abhijeet Gupta, Karthikeyan Murali, Abhimanyu Puranik.
Women's team:
A: Koneru Humpy, D Harika, R Vaishali, Tania Sachdev, Bhakti Kulkarni.
B: Vantika Agarwal, Soumya Swaminathan, Mary Ann Gomes, Padmini Rout, Divya Deshmukh.
C: Easha Karvade, Sahithi Varshini. Pratyusha Bodda, P V Nandhidhaa, Vishwa Vasnawala.
- What is the entire schedule for the Chess Olympiad 2022?
Round 1 - 29th July
Round 2 - 30th July
Round 3 - 31st July
Round 4 - 1st August
Round 5 - 2nd August
Round 6 - 3rd August
Round 7 - 5th August
Round 8- 6th August
Round 9 - 7th August
Round 10 - 8th August
Round 11 - 9th August
- At what time will the matches of the Chess Olympiad 2022 be played?
All the matches will be played at 3 PM IST.
- What are the rules and format for the Chess Olympiad 2022?
The tournament will be played in a classical format. The players will have to make 40 moves within 90 minutes. The players can offer a draw to their opponent at any point in the match.
(Inputs PTI)
