While launching Swarnim Chess Mahotsav Chief Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi said that it is his dream to make Chess a popular game in Gujarat. 'Jivanna so ranj nu nivaran kare te shatranj' (Shataranj/Chess is game that can kill a hundred pains of life), he said.
Swarnim Chess Mahotsav begun today as a part of an ambitious planning of Khel Mahakumbh. Chief Minister and Chess champion Vishwanathan Anand set together on a chess table to mark the opening of Chess Mahotsav. Chief Minister welcomed Vishwanathan Anand on behalf of
the State government. Chess Manotsav is organised jointly by Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities Department, Gujarat Chess Association and NIIT with the view to popularize the game in
the State.
Shri Modi described chess as a stress-killer and said that the game is capable of giving a direction in life. He also expressed his desire to ask psychologists to study the effects of chess on human mind and arrange workshop on it.
He said that chess can cultivate mental abilities and appealed Gujarati people to make new records in the game. Sports can push sportsman spirit and make the life a festival. Education combining with sports leads to success, he said.
Shri Modi talked about State Government's unique planning to make 20,000 people play chess at one place on the conclusion of Chess Mahotsav in December 2010.
Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities Minister Shri Fakirbhai Vaghela expressed a desire to make a state-wide chess training network. He talked about the history of the game and said that satellite
technology was used in
the State to train teachers in the game of chess.
Vishwanathan Anand acknowledged Shri Modi's efforts in popularizing the game of chess in Gujarat and assured his assistance in taking chess to the schools for the mental development of the children.
Chairman of the working committee for Swarnim Jyanti Celebration Shri I.K.Jadeja, Director General of Sports Authority of Gujarat Shri Vikas Sahay, NIIT's Director Shri Sanjay Pande, invitees and sports enthusiasts were present on the occasion.
