 "Coronavirus Outbreak: PM Narendra Modi praises Indian chess players' 'innovative' way of raising funds for fight against COVID-19")
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lavished praise on Indian chess players, including world champion Vishwanathan Anand, for coming up with an “innovative” way to raise funds for the country’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Five leading players Vidit Gujrathi, P Harikrishna and B Adhiban, Koneru Humpy and Dharika, alongside Anand, had participated in an online chess exhibition and helped raise Rs 4.5 lakh for the PM-CARES Fund. “Innovative effort and kind gesture by our chess players, including @vishy64theking, @viditchess, Pentala Harikrishna, B. Adhiban and @HarikaDronavali,” Modi tweeted. “Am sure the participants would have had an enriching experience,” he added. In India, the COVID-19 pandemic has so far claimed over 350 lives while infecting close to 12,000 across the country. On Tuesday, Modi extended the lockdown till 3 May in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak