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Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
'Now I'm used to it': Indian chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa on how he handles fame
How do you remain grounded when you achieve stardom at a very young age? We could not resist asking this question to Indian chess grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, who chooses his words as carefully as he makes his move on the board. Still only 19, Praggnanandhaa, who became a national sensation in India by earning the international master title at the age of 10, is now among the world's best players. Recommended For You During an interview with Khaleej Times, Praggnanandhaa, the youngest player to reach a World Cup final, revealed the reason behind India's incredible success in producing so many talented youngsters like the 19-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning world champion, Arjun Erigaisi and Divya Deshmukh, another 19-year-old who recently won the Women's World Cup. Q. It's been an incredible journey for you. How does it feel when you look back? It just feels like we're getting started. I have been doing well for the past two to three years, and there is still a lot more to achieve. I'm working hard towards it, and I am motivated to play more tournaments and to achieve a lot more. Q. It's not easy to handle fame at such a young age. But you seem to be so grounded. How do you do that? Is it because of the way you were brought up by your parents? Yeah, I would say experience also matters. I mean, all of these, of course, do matter, but yeah, I've had recognition from an early age. It was difficult for me back then, but now I'm used to it, and I also don't read what other people write. And, I don't think about what others might say, and all these things. I am off social media during tournaments, and, yeah, you should just try to work on chess and play tournaments. That's all I do, and I think it is working for me. Q. Viswanathan Anand was the flagbearer of Indian chess for such a long time. But now so many super-talented youngsters have emerged at the highest level. What's the secret to India's chess wave? I think it's a combination of a lot of things, and starting with (Anand) Sir, he has inspired all of us. He was a world champion when we started playing. Recently, I was speaking to Arjun (Erigaisi), and we realised that almost all of us (from India) who are at the top right now were present at the Chennai (2013 World Chess Championship) match between Anand Sir and Magnus Carlsen. So we were all inspired by those matches Anand Sir was playing. I think that's one of the reasons. And also we have a good system in India, where we have a lot of tournaments happening regularly. Trainers are there, and, yeah, and we also get government support. And clearly, we also have been getting corporate support, which is also quite important, especially when you may have to train and play a lot of tournaments at the top level. Yeah, the support is really essential. And fortunately for me, I've been supported by Adani Group, and other corporate houses are also coming into the game. It's great to see. Q. You spoke about Anand, who was a five-time world champion and one of the greatest to play the game in history. It's probably one of your goals as well to win those very big tournaments… Yeah, I have my goals, but I try to take one tournament at a time because when you think about a larger thing, you can get carried away. It's, you know, about playing one game at a time and one tournament at a time. And that's what I'm doing. This year has been good for me. Right now, I'm focusing on trying to make it to the Candidates. Q. Talking about tournaments, you recently took part in the ESports World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Online chess has become very popular in recent years, but how was the experience of being part of such a big Esports tournament? Yeah, it was an interesting experience, and it is different from the way we play tournaments usually. It's a hybrid format, we had to wear this noise cancelation headphones, which we are not used to. And yeah, it was an interesting experience. I was not happy with the way I played. But overall, I enjoyed playing there. I'm really looking forward to the next year's EWC already because I want to give my best there. It's a new opportunity for players, and also, you know, it'll take chess to a new audience. I think overall, it's a win-win situation for the game. Q. Chess is also quite popular in the UAE. Salem Saleh is a grandmaster and the country also produced a 15-year-old grandmaster in Rouda Alserkal recently. What is your impression of the chess talent in the UAE and also in the Middle East? I think the top grandmaster Salem Saleh from the UAE, he's been there for a long time. He's well known. Now we have also seen tournaments happening regularly in Dubai and Sharjah. So there are tournaments happening regularly and there are chess clubs there doing a good job. I am hoping to see more and more players coming up from the UAE and the region. rituraj@ Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE jiu-jitsu athletes win three medals at World Games in Chengdu
The UAE won three medals in the competitions on the second day of the World Games Chengdu 2025. Saeed Al Kubaisi claimed gold in the under-85kg division after a series of strong bouts against opponents from Portugal, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Mehdi Al Awlaki won silver in the under-77kg division, while Mohammed Al Suwaidi earned silver in the under-69kg division. Considered a global showpiece for sports yet to be included in the Olympic Games, the 12th edition of the World Games (August 7-17), features nearly 5,000 athletes from 118 countries competing across 34 sports, making it one of the most prominent international sporting events. Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: 'Jiu-jitsu in the UAE has proven its excellence and its ability to succeed at every opportunity, supported by the sport's continued growth and the achievements of our national team on both continental and global stages. Our athletes have consistently made the nation proud in regional and international arenas, and today's result is even more significant given the presence of top-ranked competitors from around the world. This success is the result of the Federation's ongoing efforts and initiatives to prepare our athletes to perform at the highest level.' Al Kubaisi was delighted with his gold medal-winning performance. 'I entered the championship confident in my ability to win gold, as it's the natural result of the hard work and intensive training we've put in over recent months," Al Kubaisi said. "I want to thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation for the support they have given us, helping us reach this stage and make our mark at a global event of this scale.' Meanwhile, Al Awlaki was also pleased with his performance. 'The final was tough, but I never gave up and kept pushing until the last second because my goal was gold. I'm happy to take silver in such an important championship, and I'm confident there is more to come,' Al Awlaki said. On Tuesday, male athletes Mehdi Al Awlaki, Saeed Al Kubaisi, and Mohammed Al Suwaidi will compete in the open weight division and Asma Alhosani, Shamsa Al Amri, and Shamma Al Kalbani will take part in the women's category.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
India look to break 'final barrier' in Women's World Cup
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Monday said the team was determined to break the "final barrier" and lift their first Women's World Cup cricket title this year after missing out twice previously. The 13th edition of the women's showpiece 50-over tournament will begin on September 30, with co-hosts India set to face Sri Lanka in the opener in Bengaluru. The Indian women made it to two ODI World Cup finals but lost on both occasions — going down to England by nine runs the last time around in 2017 at Lord's. Kaur, who made a valiant 51 runs in the final, will be leading India for the first time in the marquee tournament. "Playing in front of a home crowd is always special, and hopefully, this time we will give our 100 percent and finally break that barrier that all Indian fans are waiting for," Kaur said. "World Cups are always special, and we always want to do something special" for the country, she said at an International Cricket Council event in Mumbai. Kaur's India are fresh from a series win in England, where they beat the hosts 3-2 in T20 matches and 2-1 in three 50-overs games. "(The confidence is) very high. The kind of cricket we've played over the last couple of years, gives us a lot of confidence," said the top-order batter. India opener Smriti Mandhana said the women's team has witnessed a change in mindset over the years. "There's a calmness with which I want to go about on the field," said Mandhana at the event, which marked the 50-day countdown to the tournament. "Our whole team is heading in that direction. We know where we want to work hard. And when we enter the field, we know we've just got to implement." Pakistan will play all their matches in Colombo as part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments. The final will be played on November 2 either in Bengaluru or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan reach the title clash.
