Indian chess players face robbery at Sunway Sitges apartments » Today Latest Stories
Mishaps at Sunway Sitges in Spain
During the 10th Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival 2023, a few Indian players suffered a horrific experience as their valuables, cash and passports were stolen. Below are some of the statements made by the players:
I.M. Dushyant Sharma
Dushyant Sharma is the first instant correspondent from Punjab
“On December 19, someone broke into my apartment at Sunway Apollo. My laptop, passport, 400 Euros in cash, a bag and other things like jackets, chargers etc were stolen while my roommate’s laptop and airpods were gone. We learned about this when we returned from We played around 9pm and went to the police station to file a complaint and the complaint was filed, the policeman was not serious and mentioned the date of the incident wrong and many other details etc. and the next day it was authenticated on my account” he asked. No cameras were installed there as I was told by the hotel authorities. I learned that other robberies had occurred there as well. So the organizers and hotel authorities should take note of this and also give some compensation to the victims and also put pressure on the police authorities to resolve the issue.”
GM Sankalp Gupta
Strong GM from Nagpur – Sankalp Gupta
“On December 19, there was a break-in at my apartment at Sunway Apollo. My laptop and AirPods were stolen while my roommate’s laptop, passport (!), bag and other things were stolen. We learned about this after we returned from our game at 9pm” on Later on December 22, there was a similar break-in at my friend Monica’s apartment in Sunway St George. And later in the night, the worst yet – another break-in at Sunway Arizona while my friends (Arpita and Vishwa) were sleeping! Their laptops and cell phones were stolen. While reading reviews, I found out that a robbery had happened just a couple of months ago in Apollo and a similar experience in Arizona as well. There are no cameras in the building and the door can be opened with a code. “It is really strange that even after these events no security measures were added.”
Joint statement by WIM Arpita Mukherjee and WFM Vishwa Shah
WIM Arpita Mukherjee is one of the strongest youngsters in chess in West Bengal
WFM Vishwa Shah hails from Mumbai
“During the night, between 2 and 6 am, a robbery took place at our apartment. The culprits took Arpita’s laptop and Vishwa’s phone from the room where we were sleeping. Additionally, they took our slingshot bags to the hall, emptied their contents and stole the money from our bags,” he said. Upon waking up we noticed an unusual smell in the room and noticed that the balcony window was open. We made sure before going to sleep that all doors and windows were closed. How could someone enter the room? This is the case. “Unsafe. We request the authorities to take immediate and strict action against this incident. We sincerely hope that more safety measures will be provided in the future to avoid such accidents. We would be really grateful if you could compensate for the losses incurred.”
Wim Monica Akshaya
Wim Monica Akshaya
“On December 22, the last day of the Sunway Sitges Chess Festival 2023 in Spain, my friends and I went for an evening walk around 5:30 pm for 40-45 minutes. One of our roommates was sleeping in one of the rooms in the same apartment. When we returned To the room, I noticed my laptop, worth Rs 12,000 in cash, and silver ornaments were stolen. At first, I thought my entire wallet was stolen, but then we decided “I saw my bag, passports and other things in it lying on the floor in our balcony. Immediately after the accident, we went to the police station to file a complaint. Even though they took our statement and filed a report, they said directly to our faces that these things happen to tourists and they can’t do anything. It is scary to see this happening at such a prestigious event and in its official apartments. Also, it is surprising to note that there are no security cameras installed in any of the official apartments, and it is even scary to think that if my roommate had woken up due to the noise, they might have attacked him too. Later, we learned through Google reviews that many robberies had happened at Sunway Apartments earlier. Hence, I request the organizers/Sunway Apartments to provide some compensation for the loss of items and money to all the victims as they were also negligent in not paying attention even after several robberies had occurred earlier in the same apartments. I hope strict action will be taken; Otherwise, I think it will be difficult for many players to participate in future events in Sitges.”
6 kids and a sleepless night
Aditya Golatkar wrote to us, “The photo he sent was taken at 4 am on 24 December 2023. We were all staying in 3 different apartments, but due to theft incidents we had to come together and stay in one apartment. “We can’t sleep for fear he will come Someone is robbing us. We put the table in front of the door so that thieves can’t open it. All the other players left the apartments in the booked rooms at the hotel, but we were unable to do so “so there was no availability and so we are sitting in one room together. We will have to do that another day.”
From left to right: IM Utsab Chatterjee, Gyaneshwar P, Anirudh Puttawade, Mandar Lad, Akshay Ramadojo, Aditya Gulatkar
The table was used to prevent thieves from entering the room and in order to keep themselves awake, the young men played chess.
IM Sidhant Mohapatra shared one of the recent reviews on Google A similar incident happened to another person 5 months ago.
Official statement regarding various incidents during the Chessable Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival 2023 Sitges on 24 December 2023
Dear chess friends,
We feel that we must address you today regarding the unfortunate events that occurred during the recent chess tournament. We are saddened to learn that some of our participants have apparently fallen victim to theft while they were deeply engaged in the competitive spirit. We were told that there had been some burglaries at 3 apartments located within gated estates about 1.5 km away. Far from the official hotel, all three were rented by Indian players who were participating in our event. Some laptops and cell phones were reported missing.
First and foremost, we would like to express our deepest sympathy and concern to those players affected by these events, as we told them as soon as we learned. We understand the emotional and personal impact that incidents like this can have, and we want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our participants is our highest priority.
Upon learning of the incidents, our dedicated staff took immediate action to assist affected players. Our manager accompanied them to the local authorities to report the incidents to the police. Although there were no signs of forced entry, and unfortunate oversight in locking the doors or windows is expected to be a contributing factor, we appreciate the continued efforts of the police to investigate and identify the perpetrators, and attempt to recover what happened. Taken from players Needless to say we are all aware of how difficult this can sometimes be… In a separate case where a player’s passport was missing, we helped contact the consulate and ensure they had a temporary travel document. Emphasizing the paramount importance of safety and security, we are actively reviewing and enhancing our security procedures. In fact, after the closing ceremony, a security guard was immediately appointed, specifically to enhance the sense of security in the apartment complexes that night, after learning from the previous two incidents. Furthermore, our staff has conducted thorough checks to ensure that no other players are leaving windows open or doors open while leaving their apartments (something we always mention to guests during the check-in process, and which is written in the documents we provide to them). No suspicious behavior was reported. In addition, surveillance cameras were in place, covering the area where the third robbery occurred, and only captured players engaged in post-tournament gatherings, quietly moving from one apartment to another in that complex (perhaps to celebrate the end of the tournament while eating dinner). Or drinks together). Unfortunately, despite these precautions, a third case was reported that night, and again no signs of forced entry were found.
Some of the affected fellow players, who were understandably upset by these events, expressed a desire to move to the official hotel. In response, since the tournament has ended with many players leaving, we have facilitated their transfer without charging any fees. Our commitment is to continue helping them to the best of our ability.
As we reflect on our 10th anniversary, this marks the first occurrence of such an unfortunate incident in all of our publications. We remain unwavering in our commitment to take all necessary steps to ensure that our future events support a safe and enjoyable environment for all, as was the case until these isolated incidents occurred.
Once again, we express our sympathy to those affected by these unfortunate events. In the spirit of community and support, we encourage participants to contact us with any concerns. We deeply regret that after our great and sustained collective effort to host an enjoyable chess event for players and chaperones, a small number of players will not take home positive memories due to circumstances beyond our control and responsibility.
– Sincerely, Your organization team, Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival
This is a cutting-edge article. More player data and other information can be added if necessary.
