Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, welcomed the iconic Olympiad Torch in its Noida, Gurugram, Mumbai, and Pune offices. The organization also organized simultaneous chess games between employees and Viswanathan Anand, five-time world Chess champion in its Delhi NCR offices.
Viswanathan Anand, five-time World Chess Champion, said, “History is being etched as India is hosting the largest chess events in the world for the first time, and I am honoured to be a part of it. The Olympic Style Torch Relay for 44th Chess Olympiad will help us in scaling the game’s visibility and audience base. I would like to thank Tech Mahindra for welcoming this torch at their offices to engage chess lovers and fans.”
The historic torch relay was launched on June 19th 2022 for the 44th Chess Olympiad at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi and will travel to over 70 cities as part of the mission to make the presence of chess felt all over India.
Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, said, “It is a thrilling time for chess enthusiasts in India. We believe that this torch relay will further fuel the popularity of the game and take the game of chess to newer heights while creating exciting opportunities for sports fans. Further to the events across multiple locations in India, we look forward to a great response from chess players and enthusiasts from all over the country.”
Taking the Indian roots of Chess to a greater height, the tradition of Torch Relay for the Chess Olympiad will now begin in India and travel across all continents before reaching the host country.
Bharat Singh Chouhan, Secretary General, All India Chess Federation, said, “This is for the very first time that India is hosting a torch relay for an event and we feel immensely proud about this. We want to thank the Government of India and everyone associated with it for making it happen. While chess is widely played in India already, we now have a unique chance to further popularize the game and provide an opportunity to chess players and enthusiasts from across the country or even the globe to become a part of this incredible event. We have joined forces with Tech Mahindra to make this event a grand success and take Indian chess to greater heights.”
Tech Mahindra’s associates along with their families and guests from Tech Mahindra Foundation got an opportunity to play Chess with Viswanathan Anand in Delhi and won exclusive merchandise.
Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, said, “The origins of the game of chess can be traced back to India. At Tech Mahindra, we have proudly pledged to keep this legacy alive and are pleased to support the first-ever Torch Relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad. Our engagement with FIDE and AICF will help extend our expertise in leveraging digital technology to promote, revolutionize and drive fan engagement in the game. This is the beginning of a long-term engagement with the world of Chess, which we believe will be a game-changer for all involved in the game of chess from players, fans and administrators. The partnership is central to Tech Mahindra’s NXT.NOWTM framework, which aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’ focused on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver enhanced experience and enable digital transformation. In unison with AICF and FIDE we hope to see this initiative further universalize the game and help encourage people from all walks of life to take part in this amazing sport of strategy and execution.”
Post these events, the Torch would also travel to other Tech Mahindra offices in Bangalore, Kolkata, and Hyderabad among others, to engage Chess enthusiasts.
