India’s Chess Veteran Tania Sachdev Urges State Governments to Support Young Players
India’s chess veteran Tania Sachdev has emphasized the crucial role of state governments in fostering a pipeline of young players and maintaining the country’s dominance in the sport. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Sachdev, who was part of India’s historic double gold campaign at the 45th Chess Olympiad 2024, highlighted the importance of state support in inspiring and nurturing young talent.
Sachdev, who hails from Delhi, pointed out that she was the sole chess representative from the capital for nearly 16 years until the emergence of Vantika Agrawal. She stressed that state governments play a vital role in providing opportunities and recognition to young players, which is essential for their development and success.
“There’s a reason why we see so many Grandmasters from Tamil Nadu. Why does every girl want to play badminton? Because she’s seen a PV Sindhu,” said Sachdev. “Unless the state governments recognize the effort of its own players, how are you going to inspire the youth of a profession seriously?”
Sachdev’s comments come in the wake of India’s remarkable achievement at the 45th Chess Olympiad, where both the men’s and women’s teams won gold. For Sachdev, who has been a part of India’s chess team at the Olympiad since 2008, the gold medal was the culmination of a 16-year journey. Her teammate D Harika had to wait 20 years for the same honor.
“It is something that we worked towards not one or two years, but 16 years for me and even longer for her (Harika),” said Sachdev. “Having got the job done, we all felt more emotional than we ever have. It went far beyond winning the gold, it was a lifetime journey for a lot of us.”
Vantika Agrawal also revealed that the chess team had planned special celebrations once they knew that they had both won gold. The team’s success is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and support that they have received over the years.
