Gukesh and Vantika receive the Highest Sporting Awards of India
On January 17, 2025, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and top Indian women’s chess player, International Master Vantika Aggrawal were conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Award, respectively.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (translated as Major Dhyan Chand Sports Jewel) and Arjuna Awards are the highest and the second highest sporting accolades of India. Indian athletes are decorated with these awards for achieving excellence in their respective sport over a period of 4 years.
It is no surprise that the young Indian star, Gukesh, received the highest sporting honour owing to his double Gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad (Open Team & Individual), World Chess Championship, etc. Gukesh has now become one of the youngest Indian athletes (technically the youngest) to receive this honour, outstripping the previous youngest recipient by approximately 5 months.
22-year-old Vantika Aggrawal also bagged a double Gold at Budapest, which, combined with her Silver medal at the Asian Games made her a worthy candidate for this honour. Both Gukesh and Vantika were presented with a medallion and a certificate which was presented by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu. In addition, the recipients also receive a cash prize of ₹25 lakh (about US$29,000) for the Khel Ratna Award and ₹25 lakh (about US$17,400) for the Arjuna Award. Vantika becomes the 4th Indian chess player to have received Arjuna Award. India’s latest woman Grandmaster, Vaishali Rameshbabu received it last year while her brother, Praggnanandhaa, and Bhakti Kulkarni were honoured in 2022.
The recognition Indian chess players have started to receive is exemplary. Only a few days ago, Austrian GM Felix Blohberger, in his YouTube video expressing his dejection on the lack of recognition of chess players in European countries, mentioned how the Uzbekistan government recognizes its chess players and touched upon how the sport is celebrated in countries like India. With multiple chess players now being honoured for their performances on a regular basis, Felix’s statement is solidified further.
Fun fact: Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand was the first recipient of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (Formerly known as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award) while Gukesh is only the second player to have received it.
