Kolkata Open chess meet in deep financial blues
(Source: IANS)
Published: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 at 19:59 IS
Kolkata: Though it has one of the strongest fields ever seen in a chess tournament in Asia, the organisers of the fourth Kolkata Open Grandmasters tournament here are faced with an acute financial crisis for want of sponsors.
As the tournament which features two Super Grandmasters with 2700 plus elo rating – top seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2721) of Azerbaijan and Englishman Nigel Short (2706) – besides 35 Grandmasters, got underway Tuesday, the organisers were running from pillar to post to meet the monetary shortfall.
“Our total budget is Rs. 45 lakh. But so far we have not been able to collect even half the amount,” Soumen Majumdar, secretary of organisers Alekhine Chess club, told IANS.
“We are now expecting support from the state government. We have received some assurances from state Sports Minister Kanti Ganguly. Then let’s see,” Majumdar said.
The organisers landed in a soup after the central government refused to sanction any grant for the tournament. “They turned down our request. We have again requested the central sports ministry for support. We are yet to hear from them.”
The tournament does not yet have a title sponsor. Only a couple of companies like Bengal Peerless Housing Development Corporation – which is taking care of the prize money of Rs 10 lakh – have come forward.
Despite the city having several GMs, organisers have been hard pressed to hold quality international level tournaments in recent years.
The Kolkata Open’s earlier avatar sponsored by Goodricke had to be cancelled from the chess calendar after the tea company withdrew its support.
Meanwhile, the ten-round tournament was inaugurated by Kanti Ganguly Tuesday afternoon.
The Indian challenge is spearheaded by local boy and six-time national champion Surya Sekhar Ganguly (2634).
Will they be able to pay the players?