NEW DELHI, Oct 14 (NNN-PTI) – The Indian chess delegation, yesterday, announced withdrawal from the World Cadet Chess Championship 2023, to be held in Egypt for nine days from today to Oct 23, citing the “ongoing situation in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.”
“We took this decision considering all the aspects of safety and security of our young players, as the Gaza Strip is only 397 kilometres away from Egypt’s Sharm-el-Sheikh, and the conflict can significantly impact on commercial airlines in the Middle East on short notice,” said an official statement, issued by the All India Chess Federation.
It added, “We took this decision based on Force Majeure and unforeseen scenario and all stakeholders are requested to note the same.”
As many as 39 players from India were supposed to take part in the tournament, which included events in the under-12, 10 and 8 categories.– NNN-PTI
