Gukesh receives Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award for Vantika Agrawal

by ChessBase India
1/18/2025 – Indian chess celebrates a remarkable milestone as Gukesh Dommaraju and Vantika Agrawal are honoured with prestigious national awards for their outstanding achievements. Gukesh, the youngest undisputed world chess champion in history and a double gold medallist at the 45th Chess Olympiad, received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024. Vantika, who also clinched double gold at the Olympiad and a silver at the 19th Asian Games, received the Arjuna Award 2024.

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A chess player receives Arjuna Award for third consecutive year

Gukesh Dommaraju became the 18th world chess champion by defeating Ding Liren from China. He is also the youngest world champion determined in a match format. After Vishy Anand, Gukesh became the second Indian to become a world champion. Before that, he also won double Gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.

IM Vantika Agrawal won double gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad for Women. Both Gukesh and Vantika won individual and team Gold. Vantika also won a Team Silver medal at the 19th Asian Games 2022 held in China in 2023.

Gukesh was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024, while Vantika received the Arjuna Award 2024.

Gukesh receives the highest sporting honour in India - Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award | Video: ChessBase India

The narrator spoke about the following achievements of Gukesh:

  1. Gold medal - World Chess Championship 2024
  2. Gold medal - 45th Chess Olympiad (Team Open) 2024
  3. Gold medal - 45th Chess Olympiad (Individual Open) 2024

IM Vantika Agrawal receives the second-highest sporting honour in India - Arjuna Award | Video: ChessBase India

The narrator mentioned the following achievements of Vantika Agrawal:

  1. Gold medal - 45th Chess Olympiad (Team Women) 2024
  2. Gold medal - 45th Chess Olympiad (Individual Women) 2024
  3. Silver medal - 19th Asian Games Women 2022 (Team) held in 2023

The Arjuna Award is the second-highest sporting honour in the country. The recipients of the awar are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and are honoured for their "good performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at the international level and for having shown "qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline".

List of Arjuna Award winners in chess

1961 Manuel Aaron Arjuna Award Male
1980–1981 Rohini Khadilkar Arjuna Award Female
1983 Dibyendu Barua Arjuna Award Male
1984 Pravin Thipsay Arjuna Award Male
1985 Viswanathan Anand Arjuna Award Male
1987 Devaki Prasad Arjuna Award Male
1987 Bhagyashree Thipsay Arjuna Award Female
1990 Anupama Gokhale Arjuna Award Female
2000 Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi Arjuna Award Female
2002 Krishnan Sasikiran Arjuna Award Male
2003 Koneru Humpy Arjuna Award Female
2005 Surya Shekhar Ganguly Arjuna Award Male
2006 Pentala Harikrishna Arjuna Award Male
2007 Harika Dronavalli Arjuna Award Female
2009 Tania Sachdev Arjuna Award Female
2010 Parimarjan Negi Arjuna Award Male
2013 Abhijeet Gupta Arjuna Award Male
2022 Bhakti Kulkarni Arjuna Award Female
2022 R Praggnanandhaa Arjuna Award Male
2023 R Vaishali Arjuna Award Female

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Topics: Gukesh, Vantika Agrawal
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