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Eighteen-year-old chess prodigy D Gukesh was honored by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin at a special event in Chennai on Tuesday. The government organized the event to celebrate Gukesh’s achievement of becoming the youngest world chess champion.

The state government presented Gukesh with a cheque for Rs 5 crore and a shawl. The Chief Minister also announced the launch of the Home of Chess Academy to support young chess players and help them become champions. This academy will be managed by the state sports department.

Tamil Nadu has a proud history of producing 31 out of India’s 85 chess grandmasters. Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister praised Gukesh for his hard work and success at such a young age.
“I am proud of Gukesh for becoming the world chess champion at just 18. He is from Chennai, and his achievement has earned praise worldwide,” Stalin said.

The Chief Minister also encouraged young people to take Gukesh as an inspiration. “Gukesh became a grandmaster at 12 and a world champion at 18. He proves that hard work and determination can lead to success. We should aim to create many more champions like him,” he said.

Stalin spoke about the lessons chess teaches. “In chess, sometimes you have to sacrifice the queen to win. Similarly, in life, success comes through sacrifices, patience, and determination. Even a small soldier can become as powerful as the queen if it moves carefully.”

He told youngsters that participating in competitions is a success in itself and asked them to work hard to prove their skills. “Let every challenge in life be a lesson. Use your opportunities and aim to win,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also praised Gukesh and said his achievement is a moment of pride for Tamil Nadu and India. “Gukesh’s victory confirms that Chennai is the home of chess,” he said.

Gukesh thanked the Tamil Nadu government for its support and encouragement throughout his journey. “Winning the World Chess Championship at this young age is a dream come true for me. I thank Chief Minister Stalin sir and Udhaya Anna (elder brother) for their help and support,” he said.

Gukesh also spoke about his role model, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand. “Vishy sir has always been my inspiration and role model,” he added.

At the event, Gukesh presented the Chief Minister with his winning trophy and a chessboard. He had returned to India on Monday after defeating China’s Ding Liren in the championship match held in Singapore last week. Gukesh won with a score of 7.5–6.5, making him the youngest world chess champion in history.

The event ended with loud celebrations. Gukesh arrived at the venue in a car procession, proudly holding his trophy. He was warmly welcomed by students holding the Indian flag, cheering for their young hero.

Billionaire Elon Musk congratulated India’s Gukesh Dommaraju on Saturday for his historic victory as the youngest World Chess Champion. Gukesh made history on Thursday by defeating China’s Ding Liren in the final match of the FIDE World Chess Championship.

The championship was tied at 6.5-6.5 before the last game. Gukesh stayed calm under pressure and secured victory in the decisive match, claiming the prestigious world title. The 18-year-old received the championship trophy on Friday at a grand ceremony, where his incredible achievement was celebrated.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gukesh called the win the “best moment of his life.” His journey to the title began in April when he won the Candidates Chess Tournament, becoming the youngest player to challenge Ding Liren for the world championship.

The final match of the championship was a tense and thrilling encounter. Game 13 ended in a draw, leaving everything to be decided in the last round. Gukesh’s calm mindset and brilliant strategies helped him secure the title. His remarkable performance earned him global recognition and admiration from the chess community.

Former champion Ding Liren shared his feelings after the loss, admitting he was shocked by a costly mistake he made during the final game. Despite losing, Ding praised his own performance, saying, “I think I played my best tournament of the year. It could have been better, but considering my lucky survival in previous games, it’s a fair result. I have no regrets.”

Gukesh’s win is a proud moment for India, marking him as the youngest-ever World Chess Champion. His achievement has inspired millions and further cemented India’s growing influence in the chess world.

Elon Musk, known for his interest in chess and artificial intelligence, was among the first to congratulate Gukesh. His message added to the many praises pouring in from across the globe for the young champion.

Gukesh’s rise to the top is a story of hard work, focus, and exceptional talent. With this historic win, he has etched his name in the record books and opened a new chapter in chess history. The future looks bright for the young prodigy as he continues to inspire chess players around the world.

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has made history by becoming the youngest-ever chess world champion. The 18-year-old from Chennai defeated China’s Ding Liren, the defending champion, in a thrilling final game on Thursday.

Gukesh broke a 39-year-old record held by Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov, who became world champion at 22 in 1985.

A Rising Star from Chennai

Chennai, known as India’s chess capital, is where Gukesh’s journey began. Unlike many chess stars, Gukesh didn’t come from a family of professional players. His father, a surgeon, and mother, a medical professor, enrolled him in after-school chess classes to keep him busy. Coaches quickly noticed his talent and urged his family to support his training.

At just 12 years and 7 months, Gukesh became a grandmaster in 2019, the third-youngest in history.

The Championship Battle

The FIDE World Chess Championship took place in Singapore and lasted 14 games over two weeks. Going into the final match, Gukesh and Ding were tied, each with two wins and eight draws. The pressure was high, as Gukesh needed one more win to claim the title.

In the final game, Gukesh played with black pieces and stayed calm even when Ding seemed to have a stronger position. However, on the 55th move, Ding made a big mistake, losing his rook. This allowed Gukesh to turn the game in his favor. Three moves later, Ding resigned, handing Gukesh the victory.

A Historic Win for India

Gukesh became only the second Indian to win the world chess championship, after Viswanathan Anand, who won five times, with his last title in 2012.

“It’s a proud moment for chess and for India,” said Gukesh, who became emotional after the win.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him, calling his achievement “historic and exemplary” on social media.

The championship also came with a prize fund of $2.5 million, further cementing Gukesh’s place among the greats of chess.

Ding, who won the championship in 2023, struggled with mental health challenges throughout the year. Despite showing moments of brilliance during the tournament, he couldn’t hold his nerve in the final game.

With this win, Gukesh has inspired millions and brought pride to his country, marking the start of what could be a long and successful career in chess.

Indian challenger D Gukesh and reigning champion Ding Liren of China played out a tense draw in the 13th game of the World Chess Championship on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. The match, which ended after 69 moves, keeps the two players tied at 6.5 points each. Both are now just one point away from claiming the prestigious title.

The 18-year-old Gukesh, playing with the white pieces in this game, tried to press for a win but could not break through Liren’s solid defenses. The 32-year-old Chinese Grandmaster handled the pressure well, ensuring that the match remained even going into the final game of the championship.

The battle between Gukesh and Liren has been intense throughout the tournament. Liren took an early lead by winning the opening game, showing why he is the defending champion. However, Gukesh fought back in the third game to level the score, proving that he is a serious contender for the title.

What followed was a series of seven draws, showcasing the incredible skill and resilience of both players. Neither gave the other a chance to pull ahead, as they tested each other’s strategies and mental strength.

The turning point came in the 11th game when Gukesh finally managed to break the deadlock. He played a brilliant game to take the lead at 6-5, putting Liren under immense pressure. But the Chinese Grandmaster, known for his calmness and ability to bounce back, delivered a stunning performance in the 12th game to equalize the score once again.

Now, with just one game left in the championship, the stakes could not be higher. Both players need a win to secure the title outright, while another draw would likely push the match into tiebreakers.

The final game promises to be a thrilling conclusion to what has been a closely contested championship. Gukesh, one of India’s brightest young chess stars, is aiming to become the youngest World Chess Champion in history. Meanwhile, Liren is determined to retain his crown and solidify his legacy as one of the game’s greats.

As the chess world watches with bated breath, all eyes are now on the 14th and final game of this gripping championship.

In Sunday’s match, Gukesh secured a crucial win against defending champion Ding Liren, giving him a 6-5 lead with only three games left in the 14-match series. Playing with the white pieces, Gukesh capitalized on a mistake by Ding, who was under time pressure, forcing him to resign. This victory broke a streak of seven consecutive draws and gave the 18-year-old a significant psychological edge as the competition nears its end.

“This is a very important win for me,” Gukesh said after the game. However, he stayed grounded, adding, “There are still three more crucial games to play.”

Ding, 32, acknowledged the challenges of the match, describing it as “very difficult.” Despite the setback, he expressed determination to bounce back in the next game, where he will play with the white pieces.

Gukesh’s win sparked celebrations among his fans, who gathered at the Resorts World Sentosa hotel in Singapore. Supporters applauded and chanted his name, showing overwhelming enthusiasm.

“Indian fans are the best. I’m truly grateful for all the support,” Gukesh said, adding that the encouragement gives him the extra energy needed to perform.

Double Olympic medallist badminton player PV Sindhu is set to marry Hyderabad-based Venkata Datta Sai, who is an executive director at Posidex Technologies, in Udaipur on December 22. The announcement came just days after Sindhu ended a long trophy drought by clinching the title at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow on Sunday. According to PTI, the wedding events will begin on December 20 and the two families will also be holding a reception in Hyderabad on December 24.  “The two families knew each other but it was only a month ago that everything was finalised. This was the only possible window as her schedule will be hectic from January,” Sindhu’s father, PV Ramana, told PTI.

“So that is the reason the two families decided to have the marriage ceremony on December 22. The reception will be held in Hyderabad on December 24. She will start her training soon after as the next season is going to be important,” he further added.

Who is Venkata Datta Sai?

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Venkata Datta Sai did his  Diploma in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies from Foundation of Liberal and Management Education. He completed his BBA Accounting and Finance from Flame University Bachelor of Business Administration in 2018 and then did his Master’s degree in Data Science and Machine Learning  from International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore.

Venkata Datta Sai worked with JSW both as a summer intern as well as an In-House Consultant. “My BBA in finance and economics pales in comparison to managing an IPL team, but I must admit I learned a lot from both of these experiences,” he posted on his LinkedIn profile.

From 2019, he has worked as Managing Director for Sour Apple Asset Management while also serving as the Executive Director in Posidex. “The loan that you get in 12 seconds or the credit card that you have thanks to the instant credit score matching? Just some of the most complex problems I solve using a proprietary entity resolution search engine. My solutions and products are deployed for critical operations at some of the biggest banks from HDFC to ICICI,” he wrote on his LinkedIn profile.

Tiger Woods is still hopeful of coming to India for a competitive event, something he has not been able to do for the last 10 years.

Golfer Tiger Woods is still hopeful of coming to India for a competitive event, something he has not been able to do for the 10 years he has been Hero’s Global Partner. Then, there is Pawan Munjal, a close friend of Woods, who is thrilled to have extended his partnership with the star-studded Hero World Challenge for another six years, till 2030, and with Woods to continue as their global partner till 2030. A third thing that brought a big smile to Munjal’s face was that he was able to bring to the Hero World Challenge field three players of Indian origin – Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai.

The tournament, featuring 20 of the world’s top golfers, will commence on Thursday.

Munjal said, “If you remember, we had Anirban (Lahiri) at one time here, which was a great thing to happen. He was in the top-30 then. To have three boys of Indian origin in a field of the best and top-20 is a huge, huge thing for India.

“Me and many of you have been looking for an Indian star on the golfing map to really grow the game in India. I’m sure even if they’re not Indians but they are of Indian origin, I’m sure the whole nation is going to be very, very excited and very proud about this fact.” Indian-American Theegala is ranked 12th in the world, Indo-British Rai is 21st and Indian-American Bhatia is 31st as the entire field of 20 comprises players inside the top-40 in the world.

On the extension of their relationship with the tournament, Munjal said, “It was easy. We’ve had, as I said, 10 years of an incredible journey together which has benefited both of us, the foundation, Hero’s brand globally. There were no two thoughts about it.” Woods commented: “Well, this is exciting news for all of us at the foundation to be able to have Hero MotoCorp who have supported us here for the last 10 years and to have this relationship and our partnership continue until 2030 is truly amazing. We’re able to help and serve so many more youth because of it.

“All the players who’ve come down here over the years have supported this event, some of them have started their own foundations because of the impact that Pawan and I have had on this event and our various charities.

“We’ve had a great relationship and great partnership for the last 10 years, so I think it was a very natural thing for us to continue this relationship going forward through 2030 and hopefully we can make it better in the next five or so years, better than it was for the first 10 and then hopefully even bigger into the future.” Hero and Tiger Woods Foundation came together for the HWC in 2014 and will now be together till at least 2030, making it one of longest relationships on the PGA Tour.

Woods, who has often chosen HWC, which he hosts, as an event to test his fitness and preparation ahead of the following season, admitted, “Yeah, I am disappointed. I’m not physically ready yet to compete at this level. The times I have come back here, I was ready to start competing and playing again. Unfortunately, not this time. I still need to keep training to give myself the best chance going into next year and the events ahead.” On the issue of the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which funds the LIV series, Woods said, “I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this. Even if it did, we’re still at the regulations of the DOJ (Department of Justice) saying it’s giving us hominus dominus that it will go through.

“Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the DOJ’s hands, but we wish we would have had something more concrete and further along than we are right now. But things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily. From a policy board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive. But, yes, definitely moving.” On his return to competitive golf, Woods is still desirous and hopeful.

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“The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we’re playing cards or we’re playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing,” said Woods.

The field at the Hero World Challenge, scheduled from Dec 5 to 8, is led by world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who is also the FedEX champion, two-time Masters champion (2022 and 2024) and also the defending champion here.

Team India suffered a 3-8 defeat against the United States in their opening match of the first stage of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 table tennis tournament.

Team India suffered a 3-8 defeat against the United States in their opening match of the first stage of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 table tennis tournament in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, on Sunday. With seasoned players such as Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Sharath Kamal, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran opting out of the tournament, a young Indian table tennis team is representing the nation in Chengdu. In the mixed doubles opener, India’s Snehit Suravajjula and Poymantee Baisya lost 2-1 (12-10, 11-8, 4-11) to the USA’s Naresh Nandan and Ke Tiffany.

In the singles rubbers, Yashaswini Ghorpade and Jeet Chandra were defeated by identical 2-1 margins against Sally Moyland and Xiangjing Zhang, respectively.

World No. 88 Ghorpade was upset 11-9, 11-8, 7-11 by the 186th-ranked Moyland, while World No. 312 Chandra fell 11-9, 11-9, 7-11 to Zhang, ranked 465th in men’s singles.

The men’s doubles rubber saw Snehit Suravajjula and Jeet Chandra lose 2-0 (11-9, 11-9), capping off a disappointing day for India.

According to the tournament format, each rubber, whether singles or doubles, consists of three games. The first team to secure eight games wins the overall team match.

India’s table tennis team will next face hosts China in the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 on Monday.

The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup is in its second edition, with the inaugural tournament also held in Chengdu last year. Hosts China claimed the championship in the first edition, while India failed to progress beyond the first stage.

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ray secured six medals – four gold, one silver and a bronze – in the Khelo India University Games in Guwahati in February this year.

Pratyasa Ray, a rising star in swimming, was selected for the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar for 2024, an official said. Ray secured six medals – four gold, one silver and a bronze – in the Khelo India University Games in Guwahati in February this year. The Ekalabya Puraskar committee comprising jury members drawn from various sectors were unanimous in selecting Ray for the prestigious award at a meeting in Bhubaneswar. Ray will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh—an increase from the previous Rs 5 lakh, along with a citation at a ceremony to be held at a later date.

Sprinter Dondapati Mrutyam Jayaram and badminton player Tanvi Patri will also be felicitated for their remarkable performances in various international and national-level events in their respective fields.

Each of the citation winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, up from Rs 1 lakh, along with citations at the award ceremony.

Ekalabya Puraskar was instituted by charitable body IMPaCT in 1993 and managed by IMFA, the leading ferro alloys producer in the country. It is now considered the most prestigious sports award in Odisha.

The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha in recognition of their outstanding performance in the preceding two years.

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Announcing the names of the award winners on Sunday, Baijayant Panda, chairperson of Ekalabya Puraskar Committee and Trustee of IMPaCT, said the award was instituted to encourage young sportspersons of the state to perform at the national and international arenas.

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken action against Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj and Australian batter Travis Head for their clash during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

According to the ICC, Siraj was fined 20% of his match fee for violating Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct. This rule deals with “using language, actions, or gestures that could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon dismissal.”

Meanwhile, Travis Head was also penalized under Article 2.13, which addresses “abuse of a player, support personnel, umpire, or match referee during an international match.”

The incident occurred after Siraj dismissed Head, who had scored a brilliant 140 runs. Siraj gave him a fiery send-off by pointing toward the dressing room. This led to a brief verbal exchange between the two players. However, tensions cooled during India’s second innings when Head and Siraj were seen reconciling on the field as Siraj came out to bat.

Despite their earlier loss in Perth by 295 runs, Australia bounced back in style, securing a commanding 10-wicket victory in the pink-ball Test.