New Delhi: The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Wednesday sought to downplay security concerns surrounding the upcoming Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, insisting that safety measures and contingency plans are in place to deal with "extreme" scenarios.
Cyprus is geographically close to West Asia, which is currently in the middle of a military conflict that started with American and Israeli bombing of Iran.
The island nation endured a drone attack on a British air base that it houses earlier this month.
Citing security apprehensions, Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy pulled out of the tournament, that will decide the challenger for the men's and women's world titles. The Candidates tournament begins this Saturday.
"Cyprus is a safe country to travel. There is no emergency situation, and the country continues to operate normally. All necessary measures are in place to ensure a secure, comfortable, and well-organised environment for all participants, media, and guests," the FIDE said on Wednesday, addressing concerns that have also been voiced by another prominent Candidates competitor, Hikaru Nakamura.
Nakamura, who has been in Cyprus for the past few weeks, has stated that he experienced disruptive power cuts during his stay, which cannot be a good sign. FIDE said the risk of power cuts is extremely low and "overstated".
"Power shortages in Cyprus are very rare and typically short-lived. For example, a recent incident, which caused outages in some areas of Cyprus on March 13, lasted only several minutes before full restoration.
"In addition, the tournament venue - Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort - is fully equipped with backup power generators, ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply throughout the event," it said.
The world body, which has previously declared that the situation in Cyprus does not warrant a change of venues, also said safety measures are in place for "extreme scenarios."
"As a precautionary measure, the hotel is equipped with its own shelter facilities. While such scenarios are purely theoretical, appropriate infrastructure is in place to ensure the safety of all participants and guests.
"The venue is located in the western part of Cyprus, away from sensitive or strategic military locations. It is not situated along any routes related to the Middle East crisis," it said.
Citing normal flight operations in the country, FIDE said it is closely monitoring the situation and remains in contact with the Cyprus authorities to mitigate any potential risks.
"FIDE has contingency plans in place, as with any major international event. We remain ready to respond promptly to any changes in circumstances, with the safety and comfort of players, officials, media, and guests as the top priority," it said.
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