Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that sports can become an important means of cooperation between India and Uzbekistan. In a joint press conference during his two-day state visit to Uzbekistan, he said that sports can play a big role in further strengthening the relations between the two countries. PM Modi also mentioned the World Chess Championship to be held between India's world champion D Gukesh and Uzbekistan's Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov.
D Gukesh created history in December 2024. He won the title of World Champion at the age of just 18 by defeating Ding Liren of China in Singapore. With this he became the youngest world champion in the history of chess. Now the match between Gukesh and Sindarov will be a clash between two young stars of the chess world. The World Championship will be played in Switzerland from 24 November to 12 December.
Also read: Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa created history, became the Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour
PM Modi congratulated Gukesh-Sindarov
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, 'Sports is also becoming an important area of cooperation between the two countries. Last year, 20-year-old Uzbek Grandmaster Sindarev won the World Cup in Goa. Now in November, he is going to compete with India's twenty-year-old chess champion Gukesh. When these two young stars will face each other on a chessboard, then obviously the whole world will be watching this match. I also wish him all the best for the Chess Olympics to be held in Samarkand next month.
AICF President welcomed PM Modi's statement
All India Chess Federation (AICF) President Nitin Narang has welcomed PM Modi's statement. He said that chess has always worked to connect people beyond the boundaries of countries. According to him, this game is now also becoming a medium to strengthen relations between India and the world.
Let us tell you that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan from 29 to 31 August. This is his first state visit to Uzbekistan since 2015. However, he has visited Uzbekistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summits in 2016 and 2022.