GCL chairperson Peeyush Dubey expects Bengaluru edition to be well received
Peeyush Dubey, chairperson of the Global Chess League, said he expects the league's fourth edition, which opens in Bengaluru on September 5, to be well received. He made the remarks to The Hindu over the phone from New Jersey.
The GCL, entering its fourth season, is aiming to bring the mind sport closer to the common man while attracting new investors, including a football World Cup winner. Dubey said former Spanish defender Gerard Pique has picked up a stake in the franchise Fyers American Gambits, whose owners include former India cricketer R. Ashwin. The league is a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and global chess governing body FIDE, and this will be the second consecutive year the competition is staged in India after its first two editions were held in Dubai and London.
Commenting on investor interest, Dubey said: “The fact that Piquet has become an investor shows the global interest the GCL has generated.” He added: “Most of the sponsors associated with the league in Mumbai last year are with us for this season too, and there are some new entrants as well.”
On the choice of India as host, Dubey said: “Our team owners, who are predominantly companies based out of India, always wanted us to be in India.” He followed that with: “This is where their customers and audience are; and they are able to attract them, and we saw that happening in Mumbai.”
Explaining the decision to stage the event in Bengaluru, Dubey said: “Bengaluru has been a city that we were very keen in exploring in terms of how it has been talking about the game, how the technology as a technology company that Tech Mahindra is, how Bengaluru offers that kind of alignment as well with how we are looking at chess,” and added: “And, of course, we work with all our franchises and the larger ecosystem to select the city.”
On the league's reach and local interest, Dubey said: “I think last year’s league was very well received across all over the country and all over the world.” He continued: “We reached more than 211 million people across the media. For Season-4, we have already received a lot of interest from various institutions, be it schools or chess clubs in Bengaluru.”
The Global Chess League's fourth edition opens in Bengaluru on September 5, with organisers reporting substantial institutional interest in the city, including schools and chess clubs.
