PM Modi's presence has enhanced magnitude of Chess Olympiad inauguration ceremony, Stalin says

CHENNAI: While DMK and BJP party cadres were pasting banners supporting their leaders and raising slogans against each other outside the venue, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence enhanced the magnitude of the Chess Olympiad 2022 inaugural event in Chennai on Thursday evening.
Stalin thanked Modi for making it to the inaugural event at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium despite his limitations in travelling to Delhi to invite him personally for the launch.
“Usually it takes 18 months to organise an international event. But we have completed it within 4 months,” said Stalin, appreciating the organising teams.
The CM in his speech stressed the role of Aaron, Viswanathan Anand and other grandmasters in developing the sport in TN. He said that 36% of Indian grandmasters are from TN, and Chennai can be rightly called the chess capital of India.
Also, he said that some ivory coins found at Keezhadi excavation site might have been used to play games like chess, said Stalin, explaining the connection between the game and Tamil culture.