logo
World women's chess champ Divya returns to hometown Nagpur; credits family, coach for win

World women's chess champ Divya returns to hometown Nagpur; credits family, coach for win

The Print5 days ago
Divya, a native of Nagpur, was greeted by her family members and fans at the airport at night.
Nagpur, July 30 (PTI) Women's World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh on Wednesday credited her family and first coach Rahul Joshi for her stunning victory.
The 19-year-old player on Monday became the youngest to win the Women's World Cup as she outwitted the seasoned Koneru Humpy in the tie-breaker of an all-Indian final in Batumi, Georgia.
'I am so happy to receive this affection. It feels nice to see that such a crowd has gathered here to welcome me. I am overjoyed,' she said.
Divya credited her sister, family members, and her first coach, Rahul Joshi, for her victory.
'My first coach wanted me to become a grand master; I credit this win to him', she added.
The teen champion said she would rest for some days before participating in the Grand Swiss Tournament.
Divya will be felicitated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari at a public programme on August 2. PTI VT CLS NSK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Very happy moment for all the Indian chess fans, says GM Divya Deshmukh after winning FIDE Women's World Cup
Very happy moment for all the Indian chess fans, says GM Divya Deshmukh after winning FIDE Women's World Cup

First Post

time5 hours ago

  • First Post

Very happy moment for all the Indian chess fans, says GM Divya Deshmukh after winning FIDE Women's World Cup

In an exclusive conversation with Rupha Ramani on the latest episode of First Sports, Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh reflects on her victory over senior compatriot Koneru Humpy in the historic all-Indian final of the FIDE Women's World Cup, pays tribute to her late coach Rahul Joshi among other topics. read more Divya Deshmukh became the toast of the chess community recently after defeating veteran Grandmaster Koneru Humpy in a historic all-Indian final at the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia last week. Divya entered the tournament as an International Master and signed off from the tournament with the trophy in her hand and 'Grandmaster' against her name – earning the latter without having to collect the three norms required for the title. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Speaking to Rupha Ramani on the latest episode of First Sports, the 19-year-old from Nagpur, Maharashtra opened up on her incredible World Cup campaign, in which she defeated three players ranked inside the world top-10 including Humpy and how it's bringing more recognition to women's chess in India. 'Very happy that chess is getting so much recognition, especially women's chess and Indian chess, and I think it's a very happy moment for all the Indian chess fans,' Deshmukh said on the show. 'Yes I think definitely. In the men's (chess), we are undeniably one of the best right now. I think I can say we are the best, and I think in women's chess also, we are getting quite close,' the teen GM added on the topic of India further stamping its authority as a superpower in chess. Deshmukh also opened up on the absence of women when it came to the discussion of chess' elite, but hoped her victory inspired young kids, especially girls, to take up the sport and ensure India's flag keeps flying high in the world of chess. 'I think the unfortunate thing is that lesser women play chess, so it's a pity that since lesser women play, the lesser they reach the top. So I'm hoping this win encourages a lot of young girls, lot of kids and especially young girls, to take up chess and hopefully we can see much stronger Indian chess in the next few years,' she continued. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Newly-crowned world champion pays tribute to her late coach Divya also opened up on her chess journey that began at the tender age of five and how her late coach Rahul Joshi played a central role in moulding her into the world-class player that she is today. Joshi, a reputed chess coach based in Nagpur who had also trained GM Raunak Sadhwani, had passed away at the age of 40 in April 2020. 'I was five when I started chess and of course like any other five-year-old, it was really boring for me, I did not understand it and I used to sleep in my classes. Once I got to know how much a sport teaches you… of course I was too young to understand the depth of it. But I think the way it taught me about life, failures, successes, how to handle myself and nerves, I think sport is something that every child should do just for human development. Once I started winning tournaments, I fell in love with it,' Deshmukh continued. 'Rahul sir has had the biggest impact on me. He was my first coach, so he has been the guiding force for me and my parents. He has led us to understand how the chess world works. When I won my first nationals, we didn't even know there is selection for Asians and Worlds. So, he was the one who accompanied me, taught me how the entire chess world works, and I think I owe my entire start and a lot of my journey to him, because if not for him, I wouldn't have started. So in a way, I owe it all to him,' she added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Watch the full interview here:

Stokes says England disappointed and frustrated but 2-2 fair result
Stokes says England disappointed and frustrated but 2-2 fair result

News18

time6 hours ago

  • News18

Stokes says England disappointed and frustrated but 2-2 fair result

Last Updated: London, Aug 4 (PTI) England were 'disappointed and frustrated" at not winning the intensely-fought five-match Test series against India but the 2-2 result was 'probably fair", feels home team captain Ben Stokes. India beat England by six runs in the final Test here to draw the series. The visitors made a remarkable fightback on the final morning on Monday, picking up the remaining four England wickets quickly to bowl the hosts out for 367. Stokes did not play the final Test at the Oval due to a shoulder injury. 'I think the series as a whole even before this game, it was just all four games going to five days. This one again. It's been toe to toe pretty for 25 days. You know, two teams, two very good teams who have thrown everything at each other. Left nothing out there," Stokes said. 'From a cricket fan's point of view 2-2 is probably fair. Obviously, we're disappointed now to have not got the result that we wanted to give us a series win, there's obviously that disappointment and a little bit of frustration there as well from everyone." He felt the fiercely-fought series was a 'fantastic" advert of Test cricket. 'But as a massive advocate of this format and Test cricket as a whole, this has certainly been one of those series that could hopefully keep off that narrative around Test cricket is dying. As an advocate of the game the series has been fantastic to be part of." On the partnership between England second innings centurions Joe Root and Harry Brook which raised hopes of an England victory, Stokes said, 'Yeah 380 is obviously a very large total to try and chase down but as the game got deeper and deeper, the way that the wicket was playing completely changed from day one and day two. 'So we knew that if any of our lads were to get in it was going to give us a good chance. Harry got us into that position by playing a particular way, putting the Indian bowlers under the immense pressure to take them away from being able to consistently bowl the areas that they wanted to bowl. 'I'm sure everyone was applauding him when he bought up his 100 in the way that he did. Some of the shots he played were unbelievable. So, yeah, the dismissal and the way that he got out was a shot that we seen a lot of him do in that innings, which I'm sure was getting a lot of praise." Tailender Chris Woakes came out to bat despite a fractured left arm, tied up and strapped, and Stokes termed it 'unbelievable". 'It was never going to be a question for him to go out there. He was in a lot of discomfort running between the wickets there, but we've had Rishab up going out and back with a broken foot, Bash (Bashir) going out there bowling and batting fielding with a broken finger," the skipper said. 'Then we go to Chris out there today trying and get his team over the line with the quite recently dislocated shoulder. That just goes back to how much energy and effort that's been put into the series by both teams. Everyone's left a lot out on the ground for their countries, the series, definitely." PTI BS PDS PDS ATK view comments First Published: August 04, 2025, 23:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav bats for first time after surgery, on track to feature in Asia Cup
India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav bats for first time after surgery, on track to feature in Asia Cup

Mint

time6 hours ago

  • Mint

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav bats for first time after surgery, on track to feature in Asia Cup

New Delhi [India], August 4 (ANI): India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav had his first batting session at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru late last week in July after undergoing a successful hernia surgery earlier this year, according to ESPNcricinfo. In June, Suryakumar shared an update on Instagram about his successful sports hernia surgery in Munich, Germany. According to ESPNcricinfo, the dynamic batter is currently under the supervision of the BCCI's medical staff as he recovers from the surgery. Suryakumar's workload is expected to be significantly increased over the next few weeks, and it is believed that he is on track for the next month's Asia Cup, which is scheduled to kick off on September 9. According to ESPNcricinfo, the Indian team is expected to travel to the UAE in the first week of September. The tournament will mark the beginning of India's preparations for defending their crown in the T20 World Cup next year. India will host the tournament with Sri Lanka. Suryakumar was handed the reins of India's T20I team after their triumphant World Cup campaign in June 2024, after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format. The 34-year-old was last seen in action during the Mumbai T20 League in June, during which he represented Triumph Knights Mumbai North East. He pulled the curtain down on his run in the tournament with 122 runs in four innings. Suryakumar put his prolific form on exhibition during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. In his record-shattering run, the dynamic batter played a key role in guiding the Mumbai Indians (MI) to the playoffs. He enjoyed a record-breaking season, registering 16 consecutive scores of 25 or more, a world record. Suryakumar finished the tournament with 717 runs, the highest ever by a Mumbai Indians batter in a single season and the most by any non-opener in IPL history. Under Surya's leadership, India's T20 batting has scaled new heights, emphasising attacking intent and batting depth. The team has consistently posted mammoth totals, including a staggering 297 against Bangladesh in October 2024, the second-highest total in T20 history. (ANI)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store