 "Newly-crowned chess world champion D Gukesh at a felicitation event in Chennai with his mother J Padmakumari looking on. PTI")
Dommaraju Gukesh’s mother expressed a mix of pleasant surprise and elation after her son was confirmed as one of the four recipients of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – the highest sporting honour in the nation – by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Thursday. In an exclusive chat with CNN News18, microbiologist J Padmakumari thanked the government for bestowing the honour on her son while crediting the 18-year-old Grandmaster for his hard work and dedication till date.
“I feel very elated. I just got the news, so I don’t know what to say,” Padmakumari said after receiving news of her son making it to the Khel Ratna awardees list along with pistol shooter Manu Bhaker, India men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-high jumper Praveen Kumar.
“The last few days have been a nice experience, getting all the attention. I am very thankful to the government for awarding him the Khel Ratna award. I think he has got it as a result of all the dedication and hard work he has put in until this day,” she added.
Gukesh had enjoyed a red-hot run in 2024 – becoming the youngest champion in the history of the Candidates Tournament in Toronto in April before playing a leading role in helping the Indian ‘Open’ team bulldoze their way to gold in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest in September.
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The Chennai lad would then defeat Chinese GM Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in the World Chess Championship in Singapore to not only become the youngest world champion in the history of the sport , but also the second from India after the legendary Viswanathan Anand.
Gukesh will next be seen in action at the Tata Steel Chess in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, where he will be competing alongside the likes of world No 1 Magnus Carlsen among others.