Picture Credit: Twitter
As Tamil Nadu capital Chennai gears up to host the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad set to commence on July 28, the entire city is preparing for the world event. In a video that is now trending on social media, the city's iconic Napier Bridge can be seen painted like a chess board.
The video has been shared by IAS officer Supriya Sahu and gives a quick glimpse of one of the many ways in which Chennai is gearing up for the tournament. "Chennai, the Chess Capital of India, is all set to host the grand Chess Olympiad 2022. The iconic Napier Bridge is decked up like a chess board," Sahu captioned the video.
Check out the video here:
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had said that the state government had allocated Rs 92.13 crore for conducting this prestigious competition in Chennai.
"Hosting the 44th Chess Olympiad is a matter of pride for the State of Tamil Nadu. More than 200 countries and 1000 players will participate for the first time in Chennai. Because of the war in Ukraine, FIDE decided to drop Russia, which was going to host it," Stalin said while speaking at Sportstar's South Sports Conclave.
"A lot of countries worked hard to host the tournament. With AICF (All India Chess Federation), we decided to bring it to India. Our government was able to take quick decisions and did all the necessary work expeditiously and we got it [hosting rights]," he added.
"To host this event, the state government has set aside Rs. 92.13 crores. This conclave comes at the right time," Stalin further said.
Chennai's Mahabalipuram will host the tournament which is set to conclude on August 10.