At the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, India achieved a historic feat by winning gold medals in both the men's and women's categories.
Pakistan's chess players proudly hold Indian flag in heartwarming gesture
Following the tournament's conclusion, a remarkable moment captured on camera showed Pakistani chess players holding the Indian tricolor during a team photo session. This incident quickly went viral on social media, sparking reactions from both sides of the border.
Watch the video here
The Indian men's chess team, led by D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa, demonstrated their superiority by defeating Slovenia in the final round. With a remarkable 21 out of 22 possible points, they secured the top position. Gukesh, the team's star performer, won 10 out of 11 rounds, contributing significantly to India's triumph.
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"I am just super happy right now," Gukesh said following his victory in the final round game against Vladimir Fedoseev of Slovenia.
"It was a very nice experience for me personally and for the team...this was basically a dream (come true)," Gukesh said in the final press conference of the Olympiad.
Meanwhile, Indian women's chess team, led by D Harika, Tania Sachdev, and R Vaishali, secured a hard-fought victory over Azerbaijan in the final, clinching the historic gold medal. This double gold medal win marked a historic achievement for India in the Chess Olympiad.
AICF announces huge rewards for Chess Olympiad winners
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) announced substantial cash rewards for the Indian men's and women's chess teams that clinched gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad. During a felicitation ceremony, AICF president Nitin Narang revealed that each player from the winning teams would receive Rs 25 lakh. The captains of the men's and women's teams, Abhijeet Kunte and Srinath Narayanan, will be awarded Rs 15 lakh each. Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, who led the Indian delegation, will receive Rs 10 lakh, while the assistant coaches will be rewarded Rs 7.5 lakh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised India's young chess players for their remarkable accomplishment at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. During an interaction with the players, they presented him with a chessboard, followed by a quick chess game between Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi that left Modi captivated.
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