The closing ceremony of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai on Tuesday in which teams from India won bronze in the open and women’s category, saw political lines blur. The DMK-led government recognised the contribution of all former chief ministers for the development of Tamil Nadu, including the principal opposition AIADMK’s founder M G Ramachandran and his successor J Jayalalithaa.

Tamil Nadu which is known for its staunch political differences, primarily between DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa witnessed a vastly different approach here on Tuesday. Among the portraits of late former chief ministers were that of DMK founder C N Annadurai, the two from the AIADMK and K Kamaraj from the Congress which is an ally of the ruling party of Tamil Nadu.

Following immense appreciation for the performance showcasing the history of Tamil Nadu during the inaugural ceremony on July 28, which was narrated by actor-politician Kamal Haasan, a sequel was staged on Tuesday. With the section end, the narration recognized many Tamil Nadu chief ministers for their work in post-independent India and Jayalalithaa was credited for empowering girl children.

However there was no mention for former chief ministers O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami who are locked in a legal tussle over the AIADMK control.

The event also saw chief minister M K Stalin’ son and MLA Udhaynidhi Stalin being recognised for his work in organising the ceremonies. The move gains significance as there have been reports of Udhaynidhi’s likely induction into the Tamil Nadu government in a sports minister portfolio though no official communication has been released as such.

Sports minister Siva M Meyyanathan described Udhayanidhi as “ilam suriyan” (meaning young sun). “From the opening till the closing ceremony, he was there throughout,” he said. He also thanked the Union government for its support and said that Stalin will be remembered as the undisputed hero of the event.

Meanwhile, Stalin in the closing speech recalled that during the opening ceremony, he had said that this Olympiad will increase Tamil Nadu and India’s value. “And that’s what I witnessed in the past two weeks,” the chief minister said, lauding Tamil Nadu’s officials for pulling off the arrangements in just four months. Other countries usually have at least 14 months to prepare.

“We are making every effort to host the Chennai Open, the WTA and Asian Beach Games. We want to make Tamil Nadu a global destination for sports,” he said.

Incidentally, it was Jayalalithaa during her regime who had brought the FIDE World Championship Match in 2013 to Chennai in which Norwegian Magnus Carlsen had defeated reigning champion Viswanathan Anand. “Chess is very close to my heart and I regard this game very highly, both as a player and as an enthusiast,” Jayalalithaa had said at that time.