Record number of countries will participate in World Chess Olympiad
Tue 24 May 2016 18:20 GMT | 13:20 Local Time
Countdown ceremony has been held in Baku Crystal Hall to mark 100 days till 42th World Chess Olympiad.
According to Report, in the event, Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov said that Azerbaijan has hosted prestigious competitions: ‘Representatives of 180 countries will visit Azerbaijan. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce the country to the world. The intelligence people will visit Baku. This is a contest giving impetus to the development of chess in Azerbaijan. Proudly, we can say that, Azerbaijan is a country of sport, chess, our country is always mentioned together with chess countries of the world’. The minister said that preparatory works continue in normal order and that Olympiad will be ditinguished with its usual high level organization.
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov stressed that everything has been ready till 100 days to the contest and the Olympiad can be held right now. Ilyumzhinov said that the competition, which will be held on September 1-14, will make history for number of participating countries: ‘Currently, record number of applications have been received. I believe that all 178 countries will participate in the Olympic Games. So, it will be second biggest competition after Summer Olympic Games. In 2008, State Program of Chess Development have been signed in Azerbaijan. The order, signed by President Ilham Aliyev, can be an example for other countries’.
President of Azerbaijan Chess Federation Elman Rustamov said that to host the events such as the World Chess Olympiad, is considered a landmark event, in addition to become commonplace for Azerbaijan.
Notably, the World Chess Olympiad will be held on September 1-14.
Talisman of the Baku World Chess Olympiad has been presented during the event. The talisman named as ChessMan’, was presented by the CEO of the Olympiad Operating Committee, Mahir Mammadov.