Chess Olympiad 2022: Media covering event faces FIDE restrictions

Chennai, July 30: A huge controversy erupted at the ongoing Chess Olympiad 2022 when the members of the media were restricted from entering the venue on Saturday (July 30). As per Tamil Nadu government officials, the international chess federation (FIDE) has imposed restrictions on the Indian media covering the event.

On Saturday, media professionals got a message from the state government information department listing a series of new norms and restrictions.

The message said, "media cannot reach the venue on their own vehicle - they have to board the bus arranged by the state government; only 50 media persons will be allowed per day on a rotation basis, and only media persons holding the state government accreditation card, email from FIDE or those having passes issued by FIDE can be allowed to board the bus."

Representatives of several leading publications have not been issued accreditation cards by the state government for the past couple of years due to a pending court case. Besides, there are journalists who have not received emails from FIDE for the coverage of the Olympiad.

In addition, the FIDE passes are at the Olympiad venue, which is about 50km from Chennai. "The restrictions are as per FIDE instructions. We can't do anything," a state government official was quoted by IANS.

Before the start of the Olympiad, passes had to be collected by reporters at the venue, which is about two hours' drive from the city. The FIDE officials later claimed the reporters can collect the passes on any day at the venue. This reporter reached the venue, a day prior to the opening ceremony to collect the accreditation card.

Several reporters claimed to have not received the FIDE email, FIDE media accreditation pass or the state government's accreditation pass - to cover the event.

The FIDE officials, who had inspected the venue and hotels where the event, players, and officials are to be hosted, seem to have forgotten to check on the facilities for journalists.

There are several local journalists living in the vicinity of Mahabalipuram and arriving at the venue with their personal vehicles and they, along with other journalists and photographers who booked hotels in Mahabalipuram, were first sent from one gate to another and made to wait. The police personnel asked the media persons to get the approval of the district PR (DIPR) or district magistrates.

In the WhatsApp group created by FIDE, several journalists raised the issue and one of them wrote, "Video Journalists are not allowed while photojournalists are allowed inside the Competition Hall. What is the logic behind this curfew? Entering into this tournament premises takes a hell lot of time today. Then what is the point of issuing vehicle passes and Accreditation cards? Why we have to waste our time and energy to cover when there is no single point of contact who can take decisions on ongoing issues."

The state government is yet to come up with an official statement over the same.