&w=3840&q=100)
Divya Deshmukh awarded Rs 3 crore by Maharashtra CM after historic Chess World Cup win
Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday felicitated newly-crowned FIDE Women's Chess World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh here and handed over a cash award of Rs 3 crore to her.
Deshmukh, 19, became the youngest to win the Women's World Cup title held at Batumi in Georgia on July 28 after she outwitted compatriot Koneru Humpy in the tie-breaker of the final. The victory not just earned her the prestigious title, but also made her a Grandmaster.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Deshmukh is a native of Nagpur, the same place from where CM Fadnavis also hails.
During the programme held in the city, the Grandmaster thanked CM Fadnavis and the people of Nagpur for felicitating her.
She said one gets to enjoy such moments rarely in life.
'This is a very special moment for me. I am so happy that I could be a little bit part of their (children's) motivation and their inspiration. I am feeling very happy,' she said.
She thanked the Maharashtra government and the Maharashtra Chess Association for their support.
Speaking on the occasion, Fadnavis said he felt proud as an Indian, as the CM of Maharashtra and as a native of Nagpur that a local girl has made the country proud at the world level.
The government organised Deshmukh's public felicitation function to motivate the country's children, he said.
The Maharashtra government has always given priority to sports, he said.
CM Fadnavis then handed over a cheque of Rs 3 crore as cash prize to Deshmukh, and ensured support to her in her future endeavours.
Sport Minister Manikrao Kokate also promised overall development of sports in the state.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
9 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
WCL owner breaks silence on why India vs Pakistan matches got cancelled last minute: ‘People raised questions on Yuvraj'
Harshit Tomar, the owner of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) tournament, has finally broken his silence on why the India versus Pakistan match was cancelled at the last minute in the group stage. Days ahead of the contest between the arch-rivals, there was intense scrutiny on social media with fans expressing their displeasure over former cricketers from India agreeing to play against Pakistan despite the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 tourists in Kashmir. WCL owner Harshit Tomar breaks silence on why India versus Pakistan match was cancelled Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan pulled out of the contest a day before the match, and eventually, the organisers had to call the game off. India Champions then also pulled out of the semi-final against Pakistan, resulting in the latter reaching the final. It must be mentioned that ever since the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, calls to boycott Pakistan in every aspect have been growing, and hence it is no surprise that the WCL organisers came under fire for wanting to go ahead with the match between India and Pakistan in the group stage. 'We are going ahead with the tournament in England, which means that everything was taken care of 8-10 months in advance. Our schedule was revealed in December. The Champions Trophy was played in February. Players from both India and Pakistan met there, and government officials from both contingents also met each other,' said Tomar during a conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on the latter's YouTube channel. Also Read: WCL denies any 'on-field interaction' between India, Pakistan Champions in hard-hitting rebuttal of 'semi-final' video 'I cannot express my sadness at what happened in Pahalgam. We supported Operation Sindoor. The war happened, and then it was stopped. Then, the sports between the two countries started to get normal. We weren't the first ones to hold the match between India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, we approached the England and Wales Cricket Board, informing them about the geopolitical situation between the two countries. After having a long conversation with the ECB and authorities, they said 'This is good to go,' he added. 'Our stand is simple' The WCL owner also said that he will always abide by what the Indian government says. He stated that if the government clearly directs against engaging with Pakistan in any competition, then he will fully abide by it. Tomar said that he cannot be faulted for wanting to go ahead with the WCL match between India and Pakistan as the two teams will square off in the Women's World Cup and the Men's Asia Cup later this year. 'The Women's World Cup is soon going to happen. India will take on Pakistan there. Asia Cup chatter is also there. You tell me, where were we wrong in wanting to go ahead with the match? It was next to impossible for me to change things at the last minute. I just had the option of not going ahead with the tournament this year,' said Tomar. 'We had all the permissions from the ECB. Cricket is an emotion. As the match got close, people realised the reality of India playing against Pakistan. They started to express their emotions. We then had to take a call. We realised the enormity of the situation two days before the match. There was a campaign on social media,' he added. However, Tomar agreed that he failed to read the emotions of the Indian audience, saying the match between India and Pakistan should not have been scheduled in the first place. 'I felt really bad. You raised questions about me; I get that. But you raised questions on Yuvraj Singh, who was battling cancer, and still he played the World Cup. We are Indians, we are emotional. We were being bashed on social media, and we didn't want to do anything wrong. We failed to read the emotions, and it was premature on our part to want to go ahead with the match,' said the WCL owner. 'The entire Indian team had the stance of not going ahead with the match against Pakistan. All 15 players decided not to play against Pakistan,' he concluded.
The Hindu
9 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Abhishek Nayar: Want to create culture of winning trophies at UP Warriorz
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar views his new role as head coach of the Women's Premier League side UP Warriorz as more of an opportunity than a challenge, as he aims to build a trophy-winning culture. Nayar was appointed as the head coach of the franchise after a disappointing last-place finish in the WPL earlier this year, which followed its fourth-place finish in 2024 and third-place finish in the inaugural edition in 2023. 'I've always looked at anything as opportunities, and this is an opportunity, which I'm very, very excited for in that regard,' Nayar told PTI. 'The opportunity is to create a culture where everyone understands that this franchise plays to win trophies, and try and bring that mentality into our ecosystem,' he said. Unfazed by how the last three seasons in WPL have gone for his new franchise, Nayar said the only challenge for them is to move up. 'If I have to be brutally honest, I'm not sure yet what challenges (are that) I'm about to face. I don't know, and that's the exciting part,' he said. 'I don't look at the challenges. I look at the opportunities. The opportunities with our team this year are that we've obviously been last, last year, so there's only one way up,' he said. As he gears up to take up a big role in the WPL, Nayar pointed out specific changes that he has observed in women's cricket in India. 'When you saw the England Women's team facing up against the Indian Women's team, you could see a stark difference in power and in the variety of shots; the bowlers as well,' he said. 'It's not often that an Indian women's team travels abroad and wins with such conviction. When that happens, you know that Indian cricket is in the right hands. They're moving in the right direction.' ALSO READ | KL Rahul spent every minute after IPL preparing for India vs England: Abhishek Nayar 'WPL will impact not only Indian cricket, but also Indian domestic cricket. It is very different from the first year in a WPL trial, where I felt many people were more touch players. (Now) You can see so much more power entering the game. You can see the girls diving around, throws are flat, throws are faster. There's enormous growth and that's not going to stop,' he added. Nayar, who is also on board the Kolkata Knight Riders coaching staff again, said his return to the franchise two days after leaving the Indian team showed that is where he belongs. 'KKR is family to me. Everyone throws his weight way too much around (the fact) that it's family, but for me, I think it's family because the speed at which I came back [to the team] was a testament to the fact that that's where I belong in a lot of ways,' he said.
India.com
9 minutes ago
- India.com
Yashasvi Jaiswal Creates Unique Record With Stunning Century In 5th Test Against England
Yashasvi Jaiswal etched his name into cricket's record books with a truly unique feat during the fifth and final Test against England. The young Indian opener became the first cricketer in Test history to score 82 runs behind square en route to a century, a statistic unmatched across the 1,526 centuries recorded in the format's long history. A Rare Achievement In his fluent knock of 118 runs, Jaiswal dominated the English bowling attack with precision and timing, particularly on the leg side. By the time he reached his hundred, 82 of his runs had come behind square, the highest ever tally for a batsman at the point of completing a century in Test cricket. No player before him had amassed 82 or more runs in that specific scoring region while reaching the three-figure mark, making Jaiswal's innings a unique addition to cricket's statistical archives. Crucial Knock for India Jaiswal's century was his sixth in Test cricket and fourth against England, further cementing his growing reputation as a big-match player. His innings helped India set a formidable second-innings total, leaving England a daunting 374-run target to chase on the final day at The Oval. Breaking More Records This knock also contributed to India's record-breaking run of centuries in the series. The team has now registered 12 hundred, equalling the world record for most centuries by a single side in a Test series. The only other teams to achieve this are Australia (1955), Pakistan (1982–83), and South Africa (2003–04). A Star on the Rise Jaiswal's consistency and ability to adapt his scoring options have made him one of India's most dependable Test openers. This latest achievement not only highlights his versatility but also his ability to innovate and exploit gaps in the field with surgical precision. As India looks to close out the series in style, Jaiswal's landmark innings will be remembered as one of the most unique hundreds in the history of Test cricket.
