All India Chess Federation launches player stipend scheme
The project, championed by AICF President Nitin Narang, will seek to nurture the chess players from the grassroots.
The AICF is immediately dispatching its first quarterly stipends, ranging from ₹60,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, directly into the accounts of top young chess talents. A total of ₹42.30 lakh has been disbursed for the months of April to June. Players starting from the age group of U-7 till U-19 will be beneficiaries of this scheme.
'This is more than just a scheme. It shows how deeply we believe in the promise of every young chess player in Bharat,' said Mr. Narang.
'For the first time in our history, we are directly investing in the future of 39 girls and 39 boys, providing them with the sustained financial bedrock they need to transform their talent into triumph. This is more than a token; it's a demonstration of our support. One of the key objectives is to increase the importance of national tournaments, as they are the foundation for building a strong chess ecosystem. It is at the nationals where we can identify and nurture talent,' Mr. Narang added.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
HC slams sports authority for denying chess prodigy engineering admission, orders compensation
Hyderabad: Justice T Vinod Kumar of the Telangana high court came down heavily on the Sports Authority of Telangana (SATG) for its 'apathy and inefficiency' in denying engineering admission to 18-year-old chess prodigy Sreeshwan Maralakshikari under the sports quota. The court directed the state to compensate Sreeshwan for the academic and financial losses he suffered due to the arbitrary rejection of his application. Sreeshwan, an International Master in chess, won a bronze medal at the World Youth Chess Championship and gold at the Asian Youth Chess Championship, both in 2019. Despite these internationally recognised achievements, his application under GO No. 2 (sports quota) was wrongly rejected as "not eligible" for engineering admissions. Officials fail to verify credentials You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The high court found that SATG and JNTU Hyderabad dismissed his application without verifying the authenticity of his certificates, even though they had been validated by the All India Chess Federation (AICF). The court observed that basic due diligence was completely ignored. Justice Vinod Kumar exposed the lack of expertise within SATG's scrutiny committee, criticising its 'lackadaisical approach' and failure to understand even basic terminology in chess. The committee mistook 'open tournament' (mixed gender) for 'open category' (unauthorised events) and thereby invalidated his achievements. The court also pointed out the absurd contradiction in SATG's actions — the same body had felicitated Sreeshwan with a Rs 1 lakh cash award in 2019, but later dismissed his credentials as ineligible for sports quota admission. Calling the case a 'classic example of bureaucratic apathy,' Justice Vinod Kumar warned that such treatment of young athletes could discourage sporting talent and hamper India's sports development. "This is a classic case of apathy towards sports promotion. Authorities play with the lives of young athletes. How can SATG felicitate a player with Rs 1 lakh and later reject his certificates as 'invalid'? This reflects sheer ignorance," the judge said. Rushed and unfair process The court found procedural lapses, observing that SATG released the sports quota priority list before seeking clarification from the AICF. Had they waited, Sreeshwan would have topped the list based on merit, it said. Since the academic year is already underway, the court directed JNTU to accommodate Sreeshwan in his preferred computer science branch, either by creating an additional seat or by adjusting him into existing vacancies for the current year. Additionally, SATG must compensate Sreeshwan for the difference in tuition fees between his current college and the preferred institution and transportation costs incurred. The student has two weeks to submit fee-related documents, following which SATG must release the compensation within four weeks. The court also directed JNTU to ensure his transfer to a better-ranked college by the second year of his B Tech course.


Hindustan Times
25-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Sports Bill will bring transparency and reform to federations: Gagan Narang
New Delhi: Olympic medallist-turned-sports administrator Gagan Narang believes the National Sports Governance Bill will usher in much-needed transparency and reforms in the functioning of National Sports Federations (NSFs). Olympic medallist-turned-sports administrator Gagan Narang believes the National Sports Governance Bill will usher in transparency. (Getty Images) 'It's a forward-looking, futuristic bill that can significantly transform the sporting ecosystem in the country. It will help athletes perform better by allowing them to focus with the right mindset,' Narang told HT. A key feature of the Bill is the creation of a National Sports Tribunal, intended to resolve disputes involving federations. Currently, there are multiple sports-related litigations across various courts in India, which has become a major administrative bottleneck. 'The Bill will address all legal issues plaguing federations. Also, if an athlete has a dispute, there will be a resolution committee in place. That means athletes can focus on their sport without the burden of legal battles,' said Narang, the bronze medallist in 10m air rifle at the 2012 London Olympics. After a long decorated career where he won an Olympic medal, a World Championships medal (2010, Munich,) and secured multiple podium finishes at Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, Narang has switched to sports administration. He serves as vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and is also a member of the IOA's Athletes' Commission. In addition, he is part of the Mission Olympic Cell, which approves programmes for the country's top elite athletes. Having taken on multiple roles in sports administration, Narang believes that most issues can be resolved with the right intent and perspective. With his growing experience, he is quickly developing key administrative skills. Narang emphasised that the Bill's transparency measures, including making NSFs accountable under Right to Information (RTI) Act, are a step in the right direction. 'The governance structure will be clearer and more accountable. Most importantly, disputes will no longer derail an athlete's career.' He acknowledged that implementing structural change at the federation level will be challenging, but necessary. 'The key is to establish a governance framework. Once that's in place, we can build around it. Change won't be easy, but it's crucial for the betterment of Indian sport. Implementing these reforms is a step in the right direction.' He welcomed the Bill's provisions for grievance redressal mechanisms and inclusion of athlete and women representatives in the executive councils of federations. 'Athlete representation on executive boards will ensure athlete-centric programs. Women's participation is vital too — not just athletes, but also women coaches and administrators. The grievance redressal mechanism will finally have a structured form.' 'The government is respecting the autonomy of federations while ensuring ethics, fairness, and accountability. It strikes the right balance between freedom and responsibility. Our sports minister (Mansukh Mandaviya) spent long hours with top federation officials to discuss India's sporting vision and it reflects the government's serious intent and commitment to long-term development in sports,' he added. Narang said the Bill could play a foundational role as India prepares its bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. 'This is our moment. The Bill provides a platform to build the kind of governance infrastructure needed to support our athletes and help them perform at their best on the world stage.' On the recent resolution of internal differences within the IOA, Narang expressed optimism. 'It's a very good restart. Whether it was the Asian Games, the successful conduct of two National Games, or preparation for the Paris Olympics — the IOA always presented a united front. There were never any differences when it came to sports and athlete development. Whatever minor differences existed have now been resolved.' 'A little difference of opinion is healthy in any democratic setup. Now it's time to move forward and focus on the work ahead of us.' As a member of IOA Athletes Commission, Narang is gearing up to launch various educational programmes for athletes.


Time of India
22-07-2025
- Time of India
FIDE allots Chess World Cup to India after 23-year gap; Ahmedabad and Goa in the running
NAGPUR: The world chess federation (FIDE) on Monday gave India the hosting rights for the World Cup (open) to be held from Oct 30 to November 27. The All India Chess Federation (AICF) won the bid to host the World Cup after a gap of 23 years, but infighting among officials delayed the announcement of the city where the world's best players will battle for the coveted title, along with three qualification spots for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. TOI has learnt that the 29-day event will be staged either in Goa or Ahmedabad. An AICF official said, 'Having won the bid, we will start the process of approval from the govt. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Once that is done, we will soon announce the host city. Both Goa and Ahmedabad are interested in playing host to the world's top players. Everything will be finalised in our next executive meeting.' New Delhi had hosted the knockout world championship in 2000 but the title clash was staged in Tehran. Hyderabad then hosted the eight-player World Cups (both Open and women) in 2002 when it was played in group-cum-knockout format. In a statement, FIDE said: 'The World Cup 2025 will feature 206 players competing in a knockout format — a dynamic and unpredictable system where the losing player in each round is eliminated. The event has used several formats over the years, but since 2021, it has followed a single-elimination format.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo A handful of Indian players will take part in the eightround knockout tournament. Every round will be played for three days — two classical games on the initial two days, followed by rapid and blitz tiebreaks. The top 50 rated players will take part from the second round while players seeded from 51 to 206 will compete in the opening round. As per the June rating list, as many as 20 Indian players including world champion D Gukesh have already qualified to participate in the World Cup. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said, 'We are thrilled to bring the FIDE World Cup 2025 to India, a country with a deeprooted passion and support for chess. Indian chess fans' enthusiasm has always been remarkable, and we anticipate great interest in the event among local chess lovers, both on-site and online.' Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!