Chess Olympiad torch arrives in Chandigarh

Chess Olympiad torch, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi on June 19, arrived in Chandigarh on Thursday. The torch was brought by grandmaster Deep Sengupta at Rock Garden

The Chess Olympiad torch, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi on June 19, arrived in Chandigarh on Thursday. The torch was brought by grandmaster (GM) Deep Sengupta at the Rock Garden, who handed over the torch to the chief guest Banwarilal Purohit, who is the governor of Punjab and administrator, Chandigarh, at a special function organised by the Chandigarh administration and the Chandigarh Chess Association at Rock Garden.

Senior chess player Naveen Bansal receiving the Olympiad torch from Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit at Rock Garden in Chandigarh on Thursday. (HT Photo)

Sarbjit Kaur, mayor, Chandigarh, was the guest of honour. A simultaneous chess event was also held with Deep Sengupta where the top nine players in under 15 categories played against him. At the end of the function, Naveen Bansal, vice-president and senior chess player of Chandigarh, received the torch from Purohit and it was finally handed over to Deep Sengupta for Patiala.

The governor said, “I am happy that for the first time the world chess federation has instituted the chess Olympiad torch, which is part of the Olympic tradition, but was never done in the Chess Olympiad. Our country is the first country to have the Chess Olympiad torch relay, taking the Indian roots of chess to a greater height.”