At the All-Russia Forum in Kazan
The first All-Russia Forum “Russia – Land of Sport”, which is being held in Kazan, saw the ceremony of setting a Chess Olympiad flame alight on 23rd October.
The Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region had a presentation at the Forum, after which FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov lit a symbolic Olympic torch for the first time in the history of chess, passing it to the hands of Khanty-Mansiysk Governor Alexander Filipenko.
“We have the responsibility for the reputation of Russia in the eyes of the world. In the autumn of 2010, Khanty-Mansiysk will be a host to competitors from 160 countries, and we will invest every effort to organize the Chess Olympiad at the highest level”, – said Alexander Filipenko. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov added that he is confident that Khanty-Mansiysk will provide the best possible conditions for its visitors.
Khanty-Mansiysk won the right to host the 39th World Chess Olympiad at the FIDE Congress in Turin in 2006.
Source – RBC
