By Arindam Roy
During her interim Budget speech on Thursday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spotlighted Indian chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. She underscored the burgeoning prominence of sports in the country, citing the remarkable performance of the number 1 ranked 18-year-old who fiercely contested against reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen in 2023.
She added, “The country is proud of our youth scaling new heights in sports. The highest-ever medal tally in Asian Games and Asian Para Games in 2023 reflects a high confidence level.”
Last month, Praggnanandhaa secured a victory over China’s Liren while playing with the black pieces at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament. This triumph propelled him past the legendary Viswanathan Anand to claim the top spot in India’s chess rankings.
Praggnanandhaa, who started playing at the tender age of 5, went on to become India’s youngest and the then world’s second-youngest Grandmaster at age 12 in 2018. In the past few years, chess has seen rapid growth in the country. As of today, India has 80 grandmasters, from a little over 20 in 2010.
This year, five players from the country—Praggnanandhaa R, Vidit Gujrathi, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Gukesh D, and Humpy Koneru—are slated to compete in the FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates tournaments, taking place in Toronto from April 3 to 25. This marks a notable milestone for the sport within the nation.
The influence of chess icon Vishwanathan Anand has played a pivotal role in boosting the sport’s popularity, yet he’s not alone in this endeavor. The emergence of digital platforms like Chess.com has significantly contributed to its growth. Additionally, the active involvement of popular content creators such as Samay Raina and Biswa Kalyan Rath has played a vital role in captivating the interest of the younger generation.
Raina’s initiative even led to the launch of an online league in 2021, featuring notable players like Gukesh D, Vidit Gujrathi, Sergey Karjakin, Koneru Humpy, and Hikaru Nakamura. This tournament boasted a prize pool of ₹40 lakh and was broadcasted live on YouTube.
In an era where the focus of the Instagram generation can often seem fleeting, the sport has undeniably captured the interest of potential young voters. This may explain why the minister deemed it appropriate to mention Praggnanandhaa in a Budget speech within a nation fervent about cricket.
Notably, the sports budget has seen a significant increase over the years, rising from ₹466 crore in FY05 to ₹3,397 crore in FY24. Nevertheless, India still has considerable strides to make before earning the title of a sporting nation, a journey that necessitates sustained support from the government.