From Chess Olympiad's Thambi to the 1889 Handsome Dan, a story of mascots

Two days from now, on Thursday, the 44th Chess Olympiad begins in Chennai – a first for India. Its official logo and mascot, a chess knight called Thambi, is now omnipresent in the city. But this horse-headed mascot is only the latest in a series of icons that have come to define the branding of global sports events. Here’s a look at mascots, their history, and some of the most popular examples from across the world, with the known beginnings dating back to 1889.

Understanding mascots

Mascots are first and foremost iconic. Martin Kemp in his book, Christ to Coke: How Image