Raipur: Marking a glorious moment for chess in Chhattisgarh, the 44th Chess Olympiad Torch reached Raipur today at its 61st halt after Bhubaneswar. Celebrating the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, this torch will travel through 75 cities in India and will culminate at Chennai where it will be handed over to GrandMaster Vishwanath Anand.
The torch relay was given a rousing welcome upon its arrival at Raipur city. The torch relay after passing through different points in the city reached Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium at 10.30 am. As soon as the torch relay reached there, the auditorium premises reverberated with the chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. School children present there gave a rousing welcome to the torch by waving flags of different countries.
Grand Master Praveen Thipsay handed over the torch to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at the auditorium. In the event, Baghel played a chess game with Grand Master Praveen Thipsay on the occasion. Grand Master Praveen Thipsay also played chess games with the talented chess players of the state and boosted their morale.
Sports and youth welfare minister Umesh Patel, Chhattisgarh Housing Board Chairman Kuldeep Juneja, Raipur Mayor Aijaz Debar, Chhattisgarh Olympic Association General Secretary Gurucharan Singh Hora along with senior officials and a large number of school children were present on the occasion.
In honour of the torch relay, the famous dance forms of Chhattisgarh were presented by the artists. A glimpse of Chhattisgarh’s culture was presented in the dance form through the festivals celebrated throughout the year. Artists also performed on a beautiful song dedicated to the torch.
