Praggnanandhaa’s coach Ramesh RB, his father Rameshbabu, and his mother Nagalakshmi were also present during his chat with the CM
R. Pragganandhaa, the Indian chess prodigy and runner-up in the recent FIDE World Chess Championship, had a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his son, State Sports Minister Udayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday. Also present at the meeting were Praggananda’s parents, Ramesh Babu and Nagalaskhmi, and his coach RB Ramesh.
During the meeting, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister presented a memento and a check of Rs 30 lakhs to the young chess prodigy. Praggnanandhaa had just returned to India from Azerbaijan, where the World Chess Championship was held.
The reception for Praggnanandhaa was warm, with the event taking place at the official residence of the Chief Minister. Praggananda, who had notable victories over Hikaru Nakamura and Fabia Caruna but narrowly lost to world number one Magnus Carlson, expressed his excitement about the warm welcome he received at Chennai International Airport and the Chief Minister’s residence.
In a statement to the media upon his arrival in Chennai, Praggananda said, “I am very happy and thrilled to see people coming in large numbers and recognizing chess. This tells us that chess is growing as a sport.”
