SDAT to present bid to FIDE for World Championship Chess Match in Chennai
The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) is gearing up for a virtual presentation to the World Chess Federation (FIDE) on June 5, in a bid to host the World Championship chess match between local prodigy D. Gukesh and Ding Liren. The match is scheduled to take place in November this year, and SDAT is vying for Chennai to be the host city.
While the All India Chess Federation (AICF) has put forward a bid for Delhi, SDAT is confident in its ability to showcase Chennai as the ideal location for the prestigious tournament. J. Meghanath Reddy, Member Secretary of SDAT, expressed optimism about their chances, citing Chennai’s track record of successfully hosting global sporting events such as the International Surfing Open, Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament, Chess Olympiad, and Squash World Cup.
“Our financial bid has been accepted by FIDE, and we are excited to present our case to the FIDE president and CEO. Chennai has all the necessary facilities to host the World Championship, and we are hopeful for a positive outcome,” said Reddy.
In other sports news, the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league is set for an action-packed 2024 season with the Coach Draft event unveiling new coaches for the eight participating teams. The league has expanded to include Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots, with notable selections including Elena Timina from the Netherlands joining Bengaluru Smashers and Francisco Santos from Portugal coaching Ahmedabad SG Pipers.
Additionally, in shooting, Esha Singh made it to the final of the women’s 25-metre sports pistol event at the World Cup in Munich, while Ganga Singh clinched gold in the 50-metre rifle 3-position event at the 22nd Kumar Surendra Singh shooting championship.
Lastly, in tennis, Aryan Shah secured his maiden professional singles title at the ITF men’s tennis tournament in Kingston, Jamaica, defeating Dan Martin of Canada in the final. Aryan, a rising star in the tennis circuit, continues to impress with his recent success on the international stage.