Modi assured the best hospitality to the players and said India believes in ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday opened the 44th edition of Chess Olympiad in Chennai and said there are no loses in the game, “just winners and future winners”.
Modi assured the best hospitality to the players and said India believes in ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ which means ‘our guests are like God’. The Prime Minister also cited Tamil saint poet Tiruvalluvar’s couplet on the significance of hospitality.
He added, “India’s sporting culture is becoming stronger due to the perfect mix of two important factors. Energy of youth and enabling environment.”
He further said, “I am glad to share 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.”
The Chess Olympiad 2022 is being held at the Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre in Mahabalipuram. This is the first time India is hosting the Olympiad after it was moved out of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The Olympiad has attracted a record number of entries in the Open (188) and women’s (162) sections.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan withdrew from the prestigious event by saying that the torch relay of the event passes through Jammu and Kashmir. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was “highly unfortunate” that Pakistan has “politicised” the prestigious international event.
The 44th Chess Olympiad will run till August 10.