Chess Olympiad: Stalin gives away Rs 1 crore prize money to Indian teams

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday gave away a cheque of Rs 1 crore to each of the two Indian teams that won bronze medals in the FIDE 44th Chess Olympiad.

Stalin presented the cheque to players of India ‘B’ team (Open section) and the India ‘A’ women’s team at Kalaivanar Arangam here. The prize money is given by the Tamil Nadu government to honour the winning Indian teams and the players.

Sports Minister Siva V Meyyanathan, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, and top government officials were present.

The Chief Minister said the international indoor sports event was successfully conducted by the state government, bringing laurels from across the world.

The FIDE Chess Olympiad was held at Mamallapuram near here. It began on July 28 and concluded on August 9.

The India ‘B’ team settled for a bronze medal in the Open section while the India ‘A’ women’s side also finished third in the Olympiad on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Chief Minister expressed joy over the two teams winning medals and said it has brought accolades to the country.