The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) East Zone Inter University Chess Tournament kicked off today with the inaugural ceremony at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM).
Under the umbrella of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, USTM is hosting this zonal-level tournament where over 30 universities from the East zone, each with managers and coaches, have registered for the competition. Five arbiters, including international arbiters Biswajit Bharadwaj and Monimala Sinha, along with Golap Chandra Gogoi, Homen Chandra Rabha, and Paresh Rajbongshi, will oversee the matches.
USTM Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Balendra Kumar Das and Advisor Dr. RK Sharma hoisted the flags of AIU and the university to mark the official commencement of the tournament. The arbiters were felicitated by the university to recognise their crucial role in ensuring a fair and competitive environment.
Das during his welcome speech emphasised the university’s commitment to providing a platform for youth engagement in sports alongside academics. USTM, he stated, consistently encourages sports as it fosters unity, peace, and harmony both nationally and globally.
The tournament schedule includes women’s matches from January 3 to January 6, followed by the men’s matches from January 8 to January 11, 2024. Participating universities in this inter-university chess event include Jadavpur University, Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekananda Technical University, M.G.K.V.P. University, M.S.C.B. University, Berhampur University, Calcutta University, KIIT University, S.M.K.V., University of Burdwan, Adamas University, Manipur University, and Banaras Hindu University.