New Delhi, Jun 17 (Chess News) Legendary Viswanthan Anand is "immensely proud" of the fact that the 44th Chess Olympiad starting in Mahabalipuram from July 28, will have its own Torch Relay, which is in similar lines to the Olympics.

The first-ever and historic Chess Olympiad Torch Relay that will be flagged-off by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Sunday and the chess community including officials of parent body All India Chess Federation (AICF) termed the event "epoch making".

"An event like Olympic Torch Relay always fascinated me in my youth and now we also have a one in chess. The most amazing thing is, that the event is going to start from India. Nothing could be better than that and I feel immensely proud about this fact," Anand said on the eve of the torch relay.

The torch relay will be held across 75 Indian cities before reaching its destination – Mahabalipuram on July 27, a day before the start of the event. Notably, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bhopal, Patna will be among the cities.

“For the first-time ever, a torch relay is being held for an event like Chess Olympiad. It’s a historic moment for not only those who are professionally associated with chess but for all sports lovers in this country. The following would not have happened without the help and support of the Government of India, especially, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," said AICF Secretary and Chess Olympiad director Bharat Singh Chauhan.

It is also the first-time ever, a record number of 189 countries are going to participate at the Chess Olympiad 2022.

“Just like a cricket boom arrived in India after the national side's historic success after the 1983 Cricket World Cup, chess is going to witness something similar after one-of-a-kind torch relay. The amount of support that this government has given to us to host something like this, is unthinkable," remarked AICF President, Sanjay Kapoor. 

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News Source : PTI