India’s Chess Olympiad gold medalists met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, marking a special occasion for woman grandmaster Vantika Agrawal. This moment was particularly meaningful for her, as PM Modi had previously motivated her as the Chief Minister of Gujarat by honoring her after she won the Asian under-nine Championship Gold.
Vantika shared her joy at being recognized for her achievements in the Asian under-nine championships and how this recognition fueled her desire to win more accolades for India. She expressed her astonishment that PM Modi remembered her upcoming birthday on September 28. “When you encouraged me, I felt truly motivated and happy. I decided to dedicate myself to chess and earn more medals for India,” she stated.
During their interaction, PM Modi reminisced about a large chess event he organized when he was Chief Minister, which featured 20,000 players, despite some skepticism about the investment.
Harika Dronavalli, part of the gold-winning women’s team, shared how ecstatic they were about their historic victory, which brought congratulations even from their opponents. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, a teenage chess prodigy, noted the role of artificial intelligence in evolving the game, emphasizing that players are learning new strategies through it.
Vidit Gujarathi highlighted the growing popularity of chess in India and the immense support from fans during the tournament. Tania Sachdev reflected on their motivation to win gold after narrowly missing out in a previous Olympiad.
D Gukesh, a contender for the world championship, emphasized that their victory was a team effort, recalling the heartbreak of a previous loss that had driven them to succeed this time.
Abhijit Kunte, a former player and coach of the women’s team, pointed out the shift in recognition for Indian players, crediting PM Modi’s vision for promoting chess in the country.
The Indian women’s team clinched gold by defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5, with Vantika, Harika, and Divya securing wins, while Vaishali contributed with a draw. In the men’s competition, India also triumphed over Slovenia to claim gold, with D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi leading the charge, ultimately resulting in a 3.5-0.5 victory.
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