NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay honoured the state’s chess players for their performances at the 2026 Chess Olympiad, awarding a total of Rs 60 lakh to five recipients at a ceremony in Chennai on Thursday.World champion D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa received Rs 15 lakh each, while Savitha Shri B, R Vaishali and Indian Open team captain Srinath Narayanan were awarded Rs 10 lakh each.
Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa among top awardees
Gukesh won an individual silver medal and helped India secure silver in the Open team event. His parents, Rajinikanth and Padma, collected the award on his behalf.Praggnanandhaa received the same amount after winning an individual bronze medal on Board 1 and contributing to India’s team silver.Savitha Shri earned Rs 10 lakh for her individual gold medal and her role in India’s bronze medal-winning women’s team. Vaishali, who was also part of the women’s team, received Rs 10 lakh. Her father, Rameshbabu, and Praggnanandhaa collected the award on her behalf.Srinath, who captained India’s Open team, also received Rs 10 lakh.India finished the Olympiad in Samarkand with silver in the Open section and bronze in the women’s competition.
Tamil Nadu launches athlete support scheme
The ceremony also recognised medal winners from the Asian Games in Nagoya. According to news agency PTI, the Chief Minister distributed a total of Rs 6.9 crore in incentives to the state’s Asian Games and Chess Olympiad medallists.Tamil Nadu also launched its Dream Olympics 2036 scheme, which will provide financial assistance to athletes competing at major events, including the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and their para-sport equivalents.Selected athletes will receive Rs 50 lakh annually, including a monthly stipend of Rs 1 lakh, to help cover training, nutrition and international competition expenses.
