India’s nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a lot of trouble for the underprivileged, leaving the economically backward sections of the society to struggle even for the food in this unfortunate situation in the country.
However, the number of sportspersons has been coming forward to do their bit to help such people in the country, and recently Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal has also come up with a noble gesture, taking part in an online chess charity event to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Saturday (April 25), former world champion Viswanathan Anand and Chahal, India’s wrist-spinner took part in an online chess charity event along with nine other masters, raising Rs 8.8 lakh for the waste pickers’ community fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Chess For Charity” was held on chess.com, which saw India No.1 Anand, No. 2 Vidit Gujrathi, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, Woman Grandmaster Tania Sachdev, and Croatia's Antonio Radic take on a team of comedians comprising Biswa Kalyan Rath, Samay Raina, Abhishek Upamanyu and Aakash Mehta apart from Chahal, a former National Under-12 chess champion, in the fund-raiser.
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Rakesh Kulkarni, an International Master, and Director chess.com-India, said: “An amount of Rs 8.86 lakh was raised from the event which featured Anand and Gujrathi among others. It was a great gesture by the chess players.”
The wrist-spinner had also taken part in an online blitz event on April 5 to help in the cause. Anand had previously taken part in this online event on April 11 which raises Rs 4.5 lakh for the PM-CARES Fund.
Noteworthy, Chess Kerala will conduct Checkmate COVID-19 International Online Blitz Tournament on May 2 to raise funds for the state government’s fight against the pandemic.
The tournament has no entry fee, but each participant has to contribute a minimum of Rs 250, while the event offers a total prize fund of Rs 52,000.
(With PTI Inputs)
