The relay torch of 44th Chess Olympiad left Prayagraj for Varanasi on Monday morning.
In the flag-off function organised on the premises of the Allahabad Museum, located at Chandra Shekhar Azad Park, chief guest and UP cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ handed over the torch to Grandmasters Tejas Bakre and Vantika Agrawal and set them off for Varanasi.
Earlier, Sanjay Kapoor, president, All India Chess Federation, along with Grandmasters Bakre and Agarwal reached Chandra Shekhar Azad Park with the relay torch and handed it over to the chief guest.
Kapoor said that for the first time in the history of chess, the Chess Olympiad is being organised in India, in which players from 187 countries will participate.
The relay torch reached Prayagraj via Meerut, Agra, Kanpur and Lucknow. From Varanasi, the torch will head to Ayodhya. After passing through 75 cities of India, the relay torch will finally reach Chennai on July 27 where the 44th Chess Olympiad will take place from July 28 to August 10, he added.
On the occasion, video messages of PM Narendra Modi and Union sport minister Anurag Thakur urging children to take up chess were shown.
The chief guest said that it is a proud occasion for the countrymen. The importance of the Indian passport has increased under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There was a time when the US used to deny visas to Indians. Today, Indian festivals are being organised in various cities across the USA, he said. Additional advocate general Mahesh Chaturvedi, divisional commissioner Sanjay Goyal, mayor Abhilasha Gupta Nandi, district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri, chief development officer Sipu Giri and officials of the Chess Association, coaches, players and other guests were also present at the function.
{{/usCountry}}The chief guest said that it is a proud occasion for the countrymen. The importance of the Indian passport has increased under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There was a time when the US used to deny visas to Indians. Today, Indian festivals are being organised in various cities across the USA, he said. Additional advocate general Mahesh Chaturvedi, divisional commissioner Sanjay Goyal, mayor Abhilasha Gupta Nandi, district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri, chief development officer Sipu Giri and officials of the Chess Association, coaches, players and other guests were also present at the function.
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