Indian champions replicate Rohit Sharma’s ( Originally Messi’s) iconic walk as they lift the trophy.
India created history at the just concluded 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, by clinching both the open and women’s championships.
The Indian men’s team played 44 games, out of which they lost only one, won 27 and drew the rest of the games; on the other hand, the women’s team played only four games and won three and drew one against Azerbaijan.
| Player | Contribution | Remarks |
|---|
| D Gukesh | Recreated Rohit’s walk, Board 1 | A key player in the men’s team |
| Arjun Erigaisi | Best performer, Board 3 | 10 out of 11 match wins |
| Harika Dronavalli | Board 1, Women’s Team | Contributed to the women’s gold win |
| Divya Deshmukh | Board 3, Women’s Team | Vital in securing women’s team win |
From a number of videos of the champions from the event doing rounds on social media platforms, there is the video of the team choreographing the celebrated walk of Rohit Sharma in celebration of the historic victory accompanied by the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy.
The viral video features Tania Sachdev and D Gukesh doing the walk with the trophies in their hand. Lionel Messi first started the walk during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
- Gukesh D:
“I am super happy with how I played and how we played as a team. This was a dream.” - Divya Deshmukh:
“We did what we had to do and here we are today holding this gold medal.”
What’s Breaking the Internet Today?
“These superstars are impossible not to inspire extra #MondayMotivation! Double gold medals, double the motivation. Congrats, @ChessbaseIndia!”
- Video Views: 19.2 million+
- Fan Reactions:
- “Many congratulations, Team India!”
- “Closest Gukesh has come to acting like an 18-year-old!”
- “Looks just like Rohit’s celebration!”
Image Credits- espn.in
Business tycoon Anand Mahindra dedicated his #MondayMotivation post to the Indian Chess Olympiad champions, sharing a video of the players receiving their medals.
“These superstars are impossible not to inspire extra #MondayMotivation!” Double Gold medals, double the motivation. Congrats, @ChessbaseIndia, for the engaging coverage, and even more for your passion and dedication to this amazing game!” he wrote on X.
With over 19.2 million views, the video drew widespread admiration for the champions.
One user wrote, “Many congratulations, Team India! You’ve made the country proud by winning the gold medal.” Another commented, “This is the closest Gukesh has come to acting like an 18-year-old on camera.”
Another user commented, “This looks just like Rohit’s celebration. What an amazing tournament for us!”
Related Article: India Chess Teams Continue Winning Streak at 45th Chess Olympiad.
Proud Moment For India
Apart from D Gukesh, India’s Arjun Erigaisi was awarded the best performer on Board 3 with 10 out of 11 match wins.
The women’s team, including Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev, Vaishali Rameshbabu and Abhijit Kunte, won the gold medal, thus making it a double delight for India in the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
The Closing Ceremony of the 45th Chess Olympiad took place in the BOK venue – the main site of the Olympiad. The preparation was made, turning the tournament’s playing hall into a celebration area.
Players and guests were seated, while the last press briefing was conducted in the Olympiad’s press zone before the ceremony started.
The participants included Srinath Narayanan, the captain of the Indian Open Team; Gukesh D, Board One of the Indian Open Team; Arjun Erigaisi, Board Three of the Indian Open Team; Abhijit Kunte, the captain of the Women’s Team; Harika Dronavalli, Board One of the
Indian Women’s Team, and Divya Deshmukh, Board Three of the Indian Players relaxed and left the tension of the tournament and all the players were smiling.
Gukesh D: I think it was a very nice experience for me and the team. I am super happy with how I played and how we played as a team. At the moment, I am a little tired because the adrenaline is gone, but I am extremely satisfied with how everything went. This was a dream.”
Divya Deshmukh: ‘To begin with, it was okay, but then it made things a bit cumbersome.’ I think we dealt with it very well and that is something I am proud of.
We did what we had to do and what we were capable of, and here we are today holding this gold medal. These words contain feelings with which one can measure the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Key Highlights
Key Highlights
- Event: 45th Chess Olympiad, Budapest, Hungary
- Men’s Team: 44 games (27 wins, 1 loss, 16 draws)
- Women’s Team: 4 games (3 wins, 1 draw against Azerbaijan)
- Champions: Both Indian open and women’s teams secured gold
In a stunning performance over the past two weeks, India clinched both the Open and Women’s gold medals at the 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, achieving yet another major milestone for the nation in the sport.
India sealed the victory in the open section as Gukesh and Erigaisi won their games to make it 2-0 against Slovenia.
It meant that India could not lose, and with the team requiring only a draw against their opponents to secure an unbeatable lead over China.
In the standings, they clinched the gold. Finally, Praggnandhaa also secured his game to make it India winning over Slovenia while Vidit formalized the process later with a draw.
All four players had a strategic approach, with the Indian women’s team depending on the result of the tie between Kazakhstan and the USA, and they kept the game even before they could go for an attack.
India was to win the match 3.5-0.5 against Azerbaijan but had to sit tight for the outcome of the Kazakhstan match. Finally, India could not be beaten even in the tie-breakers, and that sealed the win.
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References
espn.in
Sports Star.com
