At the closing ceremony of the 44th Chess Olympiad on Tuesday, several dignitaries of the chess world pointed out that Tamil Nadu (and India) had hosted the event to great success with just four months’ notice. The world’s largest chess event was originally scheduled to be held in Russia, which had four years to prepare for the Olympiad, but after the country invaded Ukraine, FIDE had to look for a new host. When the All India Chess Federation threw its hat in the ring, the Tamil Nadu government expressed keen interest to host the event, if India was picked.
TN, after all, has a long history with the sport. Chief Minister MK Stalin said that 36% of India’s grandmasters hail from the State. Still, hosting the event was a gamble. The Olympiad is possibly the largest international sporting event hosted in the State since the South Asian Games were held in Chennai in 1995. Over 2,000 players from more than 180 countries would be participating in the event, held at Mamallapuram. In the end, the State government acquitted itself. Barring testy moments with the media, following an accreditation process that went haywire, the event went by with nary a hiccup, garnering praise from players and administrators from other countries. Further by conducting the event outside Chennai, at picturesque Mamallapuram, it ensured that local residents had plenty to celebrate but little to complain about in terms of traffic or other disruptions.
The State government has also leveraged the opportunity to offer itself as a suitable venue for other international sporting events, that will no doubt boost the local economy and burnish its reputation in the sporting world. The success is also a boost to the DMK government, facing a thornier second year in power, coming as it does after a massive riot in Kallakurichi. The party must not rest on its laurels, however, and instead must right the wrongs and perceived complacency that has crept into administration to pursue its agenda of social justice in letter and spirit.