An “embarrassed” All India Chess Federation (AICF) has filed a police grievance after a Chess Olympiad trophy its crew gained within the final version of the event at residence went lacking from its workplace, forcing the sports activities physique to rearrange for a duplicate of the prized possession and tender an apology. It’s a rolling trophy, and the incident got here at a time when the Indian males’s crew is closing in on the gold medal within the ongoing forty fifth version of the Olympiad at Budapest. AICF sources confirmed that the Gaprindashvili Trophy, given to the crew with the perfect general efficiency throughout open and ladies’s divisions, has gone lacking. India was the final holder of the trophy, having gained it right here in 2022.
AICF vice-president Anil Kumar Raizada instructed PTI that the trophy has been lacking for over a month and it got here, after the Worldwide Chess Federation (FIDE) had requested for the trophy to be delivered to Budapest.
“After we had obtained a request from FIDE for the trophy to be introduced, we have now been unable to hint it for over 30 days. Because of this, we have now filed an official police grievance, and an investigation will comply with,” he stated.
A senior AICF official stated {that a} “contingency plan is in place” and that “a alternative trophy” has already been ordered for the present version.
“Sure, we tried to search for it throughout following FIDE’s request. Nevertheless, we have now been unable to find it to this point. It’s certainly an embarrassing scenario, and this stuff require utter accountability,” the senior official said on the situation of anonymity.
“For now, a alternative trophy has been ordered. It will not be as distinctive as the unique, however nonetheless, it will likely be near the unique one. We apologise for the mess.” The present version of the Olympiad obtained underway on September 10 and is ready to conclude on September 23.
A complete of 197 groups representing 195 nationwide federations are presently competing within the occasion.
For India, the open crew consists of Arjun Erigaisi, Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and Harikrishna Pentala.
As for the ladies, the aspect contains Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and Tania Sachdev.
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