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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has withdrawn from the world’s biggest international chess tournament in protest at hosts India holding a torch relay for the event through the disputed Kashmir valley, officials said Thursday.
The 44th Chess Olympiad will see over 1,700 players from 188 nations compete in Chennai from now until August 10.
The last two competitions were played virtually because of the pandemic.
By passing the torch relay through India-held Kashmir, “India has committed a travesty that the international community cannot accept under any circumstances,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said the matter would also be raised with the International Chess Federation and condemned the “mischievous attempt to mix politics with sports”.
A spokesman for India’s foreign ministry called the decision “surprising” and in turn accused Pakistan of politicising the event.
“I was told the team was already here,” Arindam Bagchi said.
Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2022
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Comments (49) Closed
Jul 29, 2022 08:59am
Good thing Pakistan pulled out, saved itself big embarrassment of losing
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Jul 29, 2022 09:04am
Chess is a Indian game. Reject Chess.
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Jul 29, 2022 09:05am
Good riddance. And by the way, Pakistan's loss.
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Jul 29, 2022 09:15am
Literally there are pictures of the team landing at Indian Airport. If this was the way forward policy, players should'nt be allowed and issued visas at first place. Thats more of embarrassment that protest
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Jul 29, 2022 09:18am
Sorry to see you guys still at it.
Read UNSC resolutions to begin with.
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Jul 29, 2022 09:25am
Sports and politics must not go together.
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Jul 29, 2022 09:38am
Pakistan did the right thing
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Jul 29, 2022 09:38am
Good decision, most welcome
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Jul 29, 2022 09:41am
It’s chess. It’s complicated. Focus on PKR.
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Jul 29, 2022 09:41am
How will chess survive now?
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Jul 29, 2022 09:43am
India is also planning on hosting G20 in Kashmir. Pakistan must boycott that as well, if invited
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Jul 29, 2022 09:44am
Good save some money
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Jul 29, 2022 09:44am
How does it help Pakistani chess players ??
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Jul 29, 2022 09:46am
Thats probably money and precious foreign exchange saved!
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Jul 29, 2022 09:49am
Good save some dollars. Will come handy
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Jul 29, 2022 09:50am
Pakistan would probably have lost in the first round anyway!
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Jul 29, 2022 09:57am
Why prevent our youth to grow over dirty politics?
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Jul 29, 2022 09:59am
Nice way to divert attention. The important question is what is the exchange rate for the Pak rupee today.
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Jul 29, 2022 10:00am
Chess and Pakistan?
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Jul 29, 2022 10:01am
No problem! One needs brain to play chess anyway.
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Jul 29, 2022 10:02am
No budget
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Jul 29, 2022 10:03am
Pakistan and chess, joke of the mellenium!!
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Jul 29, 2022 10:12am
Country is a prisoner of history.
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Jul 29, 2022 10:19am
The international community has accepted and moved on. Time for you to do the same.
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Jul 29, 2022 10:31am
International community already accepted it by participation of 188 nations.
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Jul 29, 2022 10:31am
Now, ICC World Cup will also go through Kashmir for World Cup in India.
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Jul 29, 2022 10:44am
Loss for pakistan
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Jul 29, 2022 11:19am
They anyway would have lost
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Jul 29, 2022 11:33am
Just wait till dollar reaches 300.
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Jul 29, 2022 11:34am
Why a torch relay for a chess tournament!
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Jul 29, 2022 12:59pm
Were there any chess players or just 'officials' gone for a free trip?
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Jul 29, 2022 01:15pm
Joke of the century lol
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Jul 29, 2022 01:45pm
Better to run away to avoid humiliation defeat.
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Jul 29, 2022 03:55pm
Great move and excellent news.
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Jul 29, 2022 04:45pm
Get inflation to play
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Jul 29, 2022 05:13pm
Pakistan should not adulterate sports with politics
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Jul 29, 2022 05:14pm
Pakistan has a chess team ? That's a big news in itself.
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Jul 29, 2022 06:32pm
There are 188 nations participating without any concerns.. why stop the chance of the chess players ?
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Jul 29, 2022 07:25pm
Good and stay out.
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Jul 29, 2022 07:27pm
@Fastrack , "India is also planning on hosting G20 in Kashmir. Pakistan must boycott that as well, if invited"
No chance may be invited to G220.
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Jul 29, 2022 07:28pm
@Joshua , "How does it help Pakistani chess players ??"
Checkmate.
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Jul 29, 2022 07:31pm
@SayNoToPlastics, "Why a torch relay for a chess tournament!"
Why not!
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Jul 29, 2022 08:03pm
A sport where 100% of brain is required.
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Jul 29, 2022 08:09pm
Pakistan plays chess?
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Jul 29, 2022 10:41pm
@Fastrack , Pakistan is not a member ofG7 or G 20 or G anything, so they won't be going anyway.
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Jul 30, 2022 01:39am
Joke of the millennium. Not that we will win any Chess tournaments but we will make a political statement.
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Jul 30, 2022 01:42am
@Fastrack , And also the cricket championship that will be hosted by India, as I heard one of the Kashmir players (Umran Malik?) will be playing for India.
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Jul 30, 2022 02:18am
Pakistan record in chess is pathetic… found a excuse to bypass humiliation
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Jul 30, 2022 07:02am
Pakistan is walking into a trap.
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