Credits: X
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) found itself in the middle of a controversy after the FIDE Chess Olympiad trophy went missing. The last edition of the tournament was held in India, which was won by the home team. After the embarrassing incident, the AICF was forced to file a complaint and seek police help in locating the coveted Gaprindashvili Trophy. Not only this, but the news has also cast a shadow over India’s performance in the Chess Olympiad 2024.
Indian men and women are currently participating in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, and are aiming for gold medals in both the departments. The AICF officials have confirmed that the trophy had been missing for over a month, and could not be tracked despite numerous efforts by the officials to locate it. It came into light after the International Chess Federation (FIDE) requested the trophy to be brought to Budapest for the ongoing tournament.
We have filed official police complaint: AICF Vice President Anil Kumar Raizada
After the issue got highlighted, AICF President Anil Kumar Raizada said that the federation had been trying to locate the trophy for more than a month but couldn’t find any success. He was quoted by PTI as saying, After we had received a request from FIDE for the trophy to be brought, we have been unable to trace it for over 30 days. As a result, we have filed an official police complaint, and an investigation will follow.”
Another senior AICF official added, "Yes, we tried to look for it all around following FIDE's request. However, we have been unable to locate it so far. It is indeed an embarrassing situation, and these things require utter responsibility.” However, the official added that a replacement trophy has been ordered for the ongoing edition. The Week quoted him as saying, “For now, a replacement trophy has been ordered. It won’t be as unique as the original, but still, it will be close to the original one. We apologise for the mess."
