All India Chess Federation announces Rs 3.2 crore cash prize for Chess Olympiad gold-winning teams

The All India Chess Federation (AICF) announced a total cash prize of Rs 3.2 crore for historic gold medal winners of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad during a felicitation ceremony held in New Delhi on Wednesday.

GM D Gukesh, GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and GM Harikrishna Pentala were honoured with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh for winning the coveted Gold in the open category of the prestigious event.

GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, IM Divya Deshmukh, IM Vantika Agrawal, IM Tania Sachdeva who won gold in the women’s category were also awarded a prize of Rs 25 lakh each.

Coaches GM Abhijit Kunte and GM Srinath Narayan were feted with Rs 15 lakh each. GM Dibyendu Barua, Head of Delegation, was awarded Rs 10 lakh, while assistant coaches GM Vaibhav Suri, IM Swayams Mishra, GM Arjun Kalyan and GM Sankalp Gupta were also honoured by the All India Chess Federation (AIFC) with a cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh.

Speaking on the occasion, Nitin Narang, President of AICF said the hunger for excellence in chess is far from over, and the hunger for excellence will continue as “we strive for greater achievements”.

“A city known for weekend getaways will now be associated for Indian sporting glory. Our teams have brought home two golds from the 45th Chess Olympiad. This shows that the chess board cannot escape the gravitational pull of the Indian dominance. And now, India is a force that is reshaping chess on a global stage,” he said, according to AICF release.

Reflecting the President’s views, Dev Patel, Secretary General of AICF said, “We at the All India Chess Federation are a new, young team and we are determined to work for the benefit of chess and to ensure the welfare of our players. We have planned several development initiatives that are in the pipeline and we want to grow the sport across India and build on this success. Today, we have taken the first step in that direction”.

“The whole team was really motivated to win the gold this time around after the disappointment of the Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022. We have shown that India not just a strong country anymore but a superpower in chess. Especially the women’s team, the grit that they have shown throughout the tournament is truly commendable,” said GM Gukesh.

GM Harika expressed confidence that the cash prize from the AICF will encourage future generations to take up the sport.

“This is a first for a lot of us chess players and it is a good start to build a future for the younger generations. It was a beautiful surprise for us. But it is more than just a cash incentive; it’s a hope that will help take us to more victories,” GM Harika said. (ANI)