Bhubaneswar: Dana Reizniece Ozola, Woman Grandmaster and Deputy Chair of FIDE (International Chess Federation) Management Board, had a fruitful discussion with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on promoting chess in the state.
Reizniece-Ozola, a former minister of Latvia, expressed her appreciation for Odisha’s efforts in fostering the growth of chess among the youth.
Naveen and Reizniece-Ozola emphasised the need to popularise chess as a mind sport and its immense potential to empower the youth intellectually and emotionally.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of identifying and supporting young chess prodigies and providing them with proper infrastructure and training to excel at national and international levels.
“We are committed to providing the best opportunities for our youth, and chess is a powerful avenue for their growth. We have established the State level chess academy Pro-Chess-Ta, Chess in Schools project, while more than 100 chess training centres across Odisha are planned. We look forward to working closely with FIDE to achieve our goals,” Naveen said.
Reizniece-Ozola, who also had a tour of Kalinga Stadium complex, praised the facilities available for training of sportspersons of the state.