44th Chess Olympiad: Pakistan Pull Out From FIDE Event as a Protest Against India's Srinagar Torch Rally

Pakistan have withdrawn from the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 which is being hosted by India as a protest against the Srinagar Torch Rally. The nation have informed that they will not participate in the FIDE event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu due to India's so called attempts to interlink the field of sports and international politics together. For the first, India will host the global chess event and it will be underway from today, July 28. 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 Opening Ceremony Live Streaming Online in India: Get Free Live Telecast Details of Inauguration Ceremony on TV With Time in IST

More than 2200 participants from 188 countries have arrived in Chennai to take part in the FIDE event which will end on July 10. Like other chess playing nations, Pakistan were also invited to take part in the tournament. But the country has informed that they will not send their players to Chennai as India have knowingly violated the international regulations in Kashmir. Earlier in the month of June, the torch rally of the Chess event passed through Srinagar.

The Pakistan Foreign Office released said though a statement: “Regrettably, India has chosen to politicise this prestigious international sporting event by passing the torch relay of this event through the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)."

The Pakistan authority have also said that they will take the matters to the International Chess Federation. Meanwhile, the 44th Chess Olympiad is going to be started at the hand of Indian Primer Minister Narendra Modi in the evening today. The closing ceremony is scheduled to be held on August 10.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2022 04:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).