The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : World champion gets no incentives back home

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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

World champion gets no incentives back home

V. V. Subrahmanyam

67 players to get about 2 crore as per original incentive policy

-Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Jubilant: Chess player Dronavalli Harika displaying a medal on Monday.

HYDERABAD: Dronavalli Harika was crowned the ‘Queen of chess’ in the World Under-20 category in Turkey last week. But, the government is unmoved and not inclined to dole out any incentives for her because “chess is not an Olympic discipline!”

Everyone seems to be conveniently forgetting that the sport has produced more champions from Andhra Pradesh.

The only incentives for Harika was the Chairman of Bar Council of A.P. and Chairman of A.P. Chess Association, A. Narasimha Reddy, announcing a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 to her and Rs. 10,000 to Bansi Prathima, winner of World Schools Championship (Under-8) at a felicitation function here on Monday.

Solitary gestures

Such solitary gestures are a sorry reflection on how chess champions are being treated in recent times.

In fact, a list of 67 players from the State, headed by GMs Pentyala Harikrishna, Koneru Humpy Gogineni Rohit and now Harika are to get about Rs. 2 crore as per the original government incentive policy.

Compare this scenario few years ago when the then government showered not only lakhs of rupees to the winners of international events but house sites too.

As per the then policy, Humpy was to get Rs. 20 lakh for her two gold medals in Doha Asian Games alone.

No word

There is no word on whether she will ever get any incentive for winning two more gold and two silver in the Asian Macau Indoor Games later.

IM Lanka Ravi is still to get Rs. 1 lakh incentive for his 2006 National ‘B’ title.

In sharp contrast, there is no bar on officials from taking to “study trips” for Euro Soccer Championship, Beijing Olympics and so on.

Training session

Quite ridiculous considering Harika desperately needs help to have a training session with an Israeili Grandmaster. Remember this girl had shocked former world champion Maya Chaburdanidze in the 2002 World Cup in Hyderabad when she was just 12. Her coach N. V. S. Ramaraju has ensured a high percentage success ratio over the years for her despite several hurdles. Will the chess fraternity continue to counter the Queen’s Gambit Declined variation from the government?

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