Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani on Friday met rising chess sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
Taking to X, the billionaire shared photos of his meeting with the chess champion and extended his support to the latter. Adani wrote on X, “It’s a privilege to support Praggnanandhaa as he continues to win laurels in the world of chess and make India proud. His success is an inspiration to countless young Indians to believe that nothing is more gratifying than standing on the podium to celebrate our nation’s greatness. Praggnanandhaa represents what India can and will be all about. I wish him all the very best. Jai Hind.”
In 2023, Praggnanandhaa achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest chess player worldwide to reach the World Cup final, following in the footsteps of India’s Viswanathan Anand. The modest and soft-spoken teenager from Chennai made waves in the chess world in 2022 by defeating Magnus Carlsen multiple times, drawing attention to India’s advancements in the sport. Praggnanandhaa also secured the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
At the age of 12, Praggnanadhaa became the youngest grandmaster in India and the second-youngest grandmaster in the world. He holds the distinction of being the fifth-youngest individual to attain the title of grandmaster, following in the footsteps of Abhimanyu Mishra, Sergey Karjakin, Gukesh D, and Javokhir Sindarov. Interestingly, his older sister, R. Vaishali, is also a grandmaster, establishing the siblings as the world’s inaugural brother-sister Grandmaster duo.
Through its flagship #GarvHai initiative, the Adani Group has provided backing to 28 skilled athletes spanning various sports, including boxing, wrestling, tennis, javelin throw, shooting, running, shot put, brisk walking, and archery. Notable beneficiaries include Commonwealth Games gold medalists in wrestling, Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Deepak Punia, as well as boxer Amit Panghal. Additionally, Dahiya and Punia clinched silver medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 Asian Games.
The program opened its doors for applications from athletes, coaches, sports academies, and various other stakeholders in a range of sports in 2016.