PM declares 44th Chess Olympiad open

Published By : Admin | July 28, 2022 | 21:37 IST
Chess Olympiad is being hosted in India for the first time; India is fielding its biggest ever contingent in the Competition
“The most prestigious tournament in chess has come to India, the home of chess”
“44th Chess Olympiad is a tournament of many firsts and records”
“Tamil Nadu is chess powerhouse for India”
“Tamil Nadu is home to the finest minds, vibrant culture and the oldest language in the world, Tamil”
“There has never been a better time for sports in India than the present”
“India’s sporting culture is becoming stronger due to the perfect mix of the energy of youth and the enabling environment”
“ In sports, there are no losers. There are winners and there are future winners”

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi declared open the 44th Chess Olympiad at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai today. Shri R N Ravi, Governor Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Shri M. K. Stalin, Union Minister Shri Anurag Singh Thakur and Shri L Murugan, President of International Chess Federation (FIDE), Mr Arkady Dvorkovich were also present on occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed all the players and chess lovers from all over the world to India. He noted the significance of the time of the event as it falls during the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. He added that the most prestigious tournament in chess has come to India, the home of chess.

The Prime Minister noted that the 44th Chess Olympiad has been a tournament of many firsts and records. This is the first time the Chess Olympiad is being held in the place of origin of chess, India. It is coming to Asia for the first time in 3 decades. It has the highest ever number of countries participating. It has the highest ever number of teams participating. It has the highest number of entries in the women’s section. The first ever Torch Relay of the Chess Olympiad started this time, he said.

The Prime Minister highlighted that Tamil Nadu has a strong historical connection with chess. This is why it is a chess powerhouse for India. It has produced many of India’s chess grandmasters. It is home to the finest minds, vibrant culture and the oldest language in the world, Tamil.

The Prime Minister said that sports is beautiful because it has the inherent power to unite. Sports bring people and societies closer. Sports nurtures a spirit of teamwork. The Prime Minister pointed out that there has never been a better time for sports in India than the present. “India had its best-ever performances in the Olympics, Paralympics and Deaflympics. We achieved glory even in sports where we had not won earlier”, he said. He added that India’s sporting culture is becoming stronger due to the perfect mix of two important factors. The energy of youth and the enabling environment.

The Prime Minister remarked that in sports, there are no losers. There are winners and there are future winners. He wished all the teams and players success in the 44th Chess Olympiad.

Background

The Prime Minister also launched the first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay at the Indira Gandhi National Stadium in New Delhi on June 19, 2022. The torch travelled to 75 iconic locations in the country for over 40 days, traversing close to 20,000 kilometres and culminating in Mahabalipuram, before heading to the FIDE Headquarters, Switzerland.

The 44th Chess Olympiad is being held in Chennai from July 28 to August 9, 2022. The prestigious competition, which has been organised since 1927, is being hosted in India for the first time and in Asia after 30 years. With 187 countries participating, this will be the largest participation in any Chess Olympiad. India is also fielding its biggest contingent in the competition comprising 30 players across 6 teams.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Chairs Second High-Level Meeting with Secretaries of Government of India
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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the second high-level meeting with Secretaries to the Government of India at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today. He reviewed the future action agenda of Ministries and Departments dealing with Finance and Economy, Commerce and Industry, and Technology sectors. The meeting focused on accelerating progress towards the goals of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister called for a strong focus on team building across Ministries and Departments, urging officers to work with a shared sense of purpose. He emphasised the need to break both horizontal and vertical silos within the Government so that departments function in close coordination and deliver integrated outcomes.

Highlighting the importance of citizen-centric governance, Prime Minister said that the people of India must remain at the centre of governance. He reminded that every decision and policy should be guided by the interests and aspirations of the common citizen.

Prime Minister stressed that while India is making significant investments in infrastructure, equal priority must be given to developing indigenous technologies. He underscored the importance of technological self-reliance and building domestic capabilities in critical sectors.

Prime Minister underlined that energy security is closely linked with national security, economic stability and citizens’ welfare. Prime Minister said India must achieve self-reliance in the energy sector through innovation, diversification and accelerated capacity creation.

Emphasising that reforms are not merely a fashionable term but a continuous necessity for effective governance, Prime Minister stressed the need to reform processes, improve work culture and strengthen institutional efficiency.

Prime Minister said that growing use of technology must be accompanied by a strong focus on cybersecurity to safeguard digital systems and infrastructure. He stressed the need for constant vigilance against emerging cyber threats. He called for encouraging greater participation of young innovators and entrepreneurs in the cybersecurity ecosystem and emphasised that it should evolve into a nationwide movement.

Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of proactive communication on strategic sectors where the country is undertaking major initiatives, to counter misinformation and unfounded fears surrounding such efforts.

Prime Minister says that new academic courses should be planned in partnership with industry to equip the workforce with skills required by emerging and future industries. He also observed that a government must always remain youthful, dynamic and forward-looking, continuously adapting to new challenges and opportunities with agility and innovation.

The meeting featured detailed discussions by Secretaries on the progress, priorities and implementation issues across their respective domains. The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of key Ministries and Departments, and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office.