A delegation from Tamil Nadu, including Minister for Sports Development and Youth Welfare Siva V. Meyyanathan, visited Delhi and invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the inauguration of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, scheduled to commence in Chennai on July 28.
The delegation invited the Prime Minister on behalf of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who has been advised complete rest at home for a week, following his recovery from COVID-19.
Lok Sabha MPs T.R. Baalu and Kanimozhi and Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu were part of the delegation. It also called on Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare and Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur and Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan and invited them to the international sports event.
When Mr. Modi spoke to Mr. Stalin on the phone to enquire about his health when he was in hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, the Chief Minister had invited the Prime Minister to the Chess Olympiad and said a delegation would visit Mr. Modi on his behalf, as he could not travel to the national capital.
Over 2,000 chess players from 187 countries are set to take part in the Olympiad. Several cultural programmes will be organised as part of the international event, for which the Tamil Nadu government has allocated ₹92 crore.
