PM Modi congratulates Indian team on their golden performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad
India made headlines by winning gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Indian Champions at his residence in New Delhi on 25th September 2024. He personally congratulated all the players and the coaches for their hard work and dedication to achieve this success. Not only this, but the players, and their team received cash prizes. SAI awarded Rs. 20,00,000 to each player, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin awarded Rs. 25,00,000 to Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali, Rs. 15,00,000 to Srinath, AICF awarded Rs. 25 Lakhs to each player, Velammal Nexus awarded Rs. 10 Lakhs to Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali and Rs. 5 Lakhs to Srinath and Arjun Kalyan, Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy awarded Rs. 25 Lakhs to Harika and Arjun, MCA awarded Rs. 3 Lakhs to Vidit and Divya each and 1.5 Lakhs to Abhijit and Sankalp each, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray felicitated Vidit Gujrathi and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde awarded Rs. 1 Crore to Vidit and Divya each and Rs. 10 Lakhs to Abhijit and Sankalp each. Read the article to know more.
Prime Minister of India meets the team in Delhi
India created history by winning gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary. The Indian Men’s team entered the event as the second seed, while the Women’s team began as the top seed. Both teams were in the race for gold right from the start. After facing setbacks in the previous Olympiad, the Indian teams were extra focused this time. They capitalized on their early advantages in the initial rounds. As the event reached its midway point, both teams maintained their top positions with steady performances. And in the most critical final rounds, our players delivered key victories. After a roller-coaster ride of emotions, both teams emerged as champions!
This ‘golden’ moment continues to resonate across the nation. Every day, we read the news about different prizes for the Indian Team. Even though it has been four days since the Olympiad officially concluded, the fever among Indians is still very much alive. All the Indian fans are so overwhelmed with this victory that they want to personally congratulate the players. Everyone wants to send a message to the team: “We are proud of you!”
In light of this overwhelming pride, 25th September 2024 marked an important day for the Indian Team. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, personally met with the champions of the 45th Chess Olympiad at his residence in New Delhi. He congratulated the team for their remarkable achievement and for making the nation proud on the global stage. He spent over an hour with the players and their coaches to discuss their victory and much more.
This gesture will definitely have a profound impact on the players. This kind of validation is not just an acknowledgement of their hard work, but also a boost to player’s confidence. Recognition at such a high level validates all the effort that has gone into their journey. We hope that this will act as a source of motivation for the players and that they will continue delivering such exceptional performances in the future. Additionally, this achievement has brought chess back into the limelight. Watching these players in action will inspire a new generation of aspiring players to take up this game.
Here are some photos from their meeting:
The PM also had a conversation with all the players individually.
Cash awards given to the Indian Teams for their victory:
The Sports Authority of India has awarded Rs. 20,00,000 to each of the players in the Indian Open and Women's Team. Here is a picture of the Indian Team with the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse:
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin felicitated and awarded Rs. 25,00,000 to Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali each. The team captain Srinath Narayanan was awarded Rs. 15,00,000.
The All India Chess Federation felicitated the Indian Open and Women's Teams in New Delhi. All the players from both teams will be awarded Rs. 25 Lakhs each. The Team Captains Srinath Narayanan and Abhijit Kunte will receive Rs. 15 Lakhs each, and the Assistant coaches/seconds from each team - Sankalp Gupta, Vaibhav Suri, Swayams Mishra, and Arjun Kalyan will receive Rs. 7.5 Lakhs. The Head of the Indian delegation, Dibyendu Barua will be awarded Rs. 10 Lakhs. The total outlay by AICF for this achievement was a massive Rs.3.2 crores!
The Chief Minister of Telangana, A Revanth Reddy felicitated and awarded Rs. 25,00,000 to Harika and Arjun each.
Velammal Nexus felicitated and awarded Rs. 10 Lakhs to Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali each and Rs. 5 Lakhs to Srinath and Arjun Kalyan each.
Maharashtra Chess Association felicitated Vidit Gujarati, Divya Deshmukh, Abhijit Kunte, and Sankalp Gupta. They awarded Rs. 3 Lakhs to Vidit and Divya and Rs. 1.5 Lakhs to Abhijit Kunte and Sankalp Gupta. Divya and Sankalp were virtually present for the ceremony.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and President of Yuva Sena, Aditya Thackeray felicitated Vidit Gujrathi for his performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad.
The Government of Maharashtra felicitated Vidit Gujrathi, Divya Deshmukh, Abhijit Kunte, and Sankalp Gupta. They awarded Rs. 1 Crore to Vidit and Divya each and Rs. 10 Lakhs to the coaches Abhijit Kunte and Sankalp Gupta each.
Summary of Cash Prizes:
| Player | INR | USD |
| D. Gukesh | 80 Lakh | 95,580 |
| R. Praggnanandhaa | 80 Lakh | 95,580 |
| Arjun Erigaisi | 70 Lakh | 83,700 |
| Vidit Gujrathi | 1.48 Crore | 1,76,100 |
| Pentala Harikrishna | 45 Lakh | 53,800 |
| Harika Dronavali | 70 Lakh | 83,700 |
| R. Vaishali | 80 Lakh | 95,580 |
| Divya Deshmukh | 1.48 Crore | 1,76,100 |
| Vantika Agarwal | 45 Lakh | 53,800 |
| Tania Sachdev | 45 Lakh | 53,800 |
| Coach | INR | USD |
| Srinath Narayanan | 35 Lakh | 41,820 |
| Abhijit Kunte | 26.5 Lakh | 31,500 |
| Assistant Coach | INR | USD |
| Vaibhav Suri | 7.5 Lakh | 8960 |
| Arjun Kalyan | 12.5 Lakh | 14,935 |
| Sankalp Gupta | 19 Lakh | 22,600 |
| Swayams Mishra | 7.5 Lakh | 8960 |
| Delegate | INR | USD |
| Dibyendu Barua | 10 Lakh | 11,950 |
We thank SAI, AICF, the government of Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Maharashtra, Velammal Nexus, Maharashtra Chess Association, and Shiv Sena (UBT) for not only recognizing the achievements of the players but also honoring them with cash awards. Our gratitude to the Prime Minister of the country Narendra Modi for sparing time from his busy schedule for these champions! It is sure to motivate them and other chess players in the days and years to come.
