"He Has Made India Proud" Anurag Thakur Felicitates R Praggnanandhaa, His Parents In Delhi

Following his brilliant performance in the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Cup, 18-year-old Chess Prodigy R Praggnanandhaa and his family members met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on September 01. Union Minister felicitated the Grandmaster and his parents in Delhi. While speaking to ANI, R Praggnanandhaa said, "We are happy that we are getting this support and it is also motivating us to work hard and perform well in the tournaments and bring laurels to the country..."In the FIDE World Cup final match, Praggnanandhaa put up a stellar performance against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. However, Carlsen defeated Praggnanandhaa to clinch the title of the International Chess Federation World Cup and the Indian chess grandmaster had to settle for the position of runner-up of the 2023 FIDE World Cup. The 18-year-old Indian will draw hope from the fact that he has qualified for the FIDE Candidates tournament. Further, Anurag Thakur also spoke to ANI, where he lauded Praggnanandhaa's performance and said, "I congratulate him. He has made India proud. At the age of 16, he did what others could not. Many youngsters get inspiration from him to play Chess. Chess originated in India but it took hundreds of years to organise a Chess Olympiad in the country and it was organised successfully..."