New Delhi: Indian International Master Vantika Agrawal has opened up on the cultural difference she faces in the region she comes from. The Noida-based chess player started at the age of seven at the Amity International in the city.
She got involved into a lot of other sports such as skating, dancing, music, art, and cricket before actually opting to pursue chess over anything. She joined the Genius Chess Academy in Noida. She received guidance from Grandmasters such as Praveen Thipsay and Vishnu Prasanna.
However, Vantika feels that she doesn’t get the validation of the profession of being a chess player.
“The challenge that I faced is like (one) I’m still facing. In north India, there is no culture of chess. In the south, you have academies, but here, no culture,” Vantika told Times of India.
“If someone asks what you do, and you say, ‘I’m a chess player,’ their response is usually, ‘Okay, but what do you actually do? What are you studying?’ I think it’s still the same story, even after winning so many medals. People still ask, ‘Chess is fine, but what do you really do?” she said with a chuckle.
Vantika Agrawal’s Rise in Chess
Vantika became the gold medallist at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest last year with the Indian women’s team. She scored 7.5 out of 9 with an impressive 2550-plus rating. She has outperformed some of the higher-ranked player such as Tata Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament and Qatar Masters, where she registered victory against Prraneeth Vuppala.
She was the recipient of the Arjuna Award (the second highest sporting award for Indian sportsperson) by the Government of India earlier this year.
Vantika has the goal to become a Grand Master this year. She has current ratings of 2411 and a player needs over 2500 ratings to attain the GM status. India has only three female players in the GM category with Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, and R Vaishali holding the status currently.
Vantika Agrawal, a rising Indian chess star from Noida, discusses the cultural hurdles she faces in pursuing her passion. Despite winning a gold medal at the Chess Olympiad and receiving the Arjuna Award, she still encounters societal perceptions that undervalue chess as a profession. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
