30 september 2024 : Tania Sachdev, a member of the Indian women’s chess team, described winning the gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest as a moment she’ll always cherish. Alongside the women’s team, the Indian men’s team also secured gold, making India only the third country to win both titles at the same event.
Sachdev, 36, compared the achievement to India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup victory, which transformed the sport in the country. She expressed hope that this double gold could have a similar impact on Indian chess, calling it a “breakthrough moment.”
Meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi was an emotional highlight for her. She shared how proud she and her teammates felt when the PM mentioned their victory during his speech in the United States, recognizing the years of hard work by Indian chess players.
One memorable moment from the Olympiad’s closing ceremony was the women’s team’s spontaneous victory walk with their trophies, inspired by celebrations from other sports. Sachdev likened the moment to the trophy lifts by footballer Lionel Messi and cricketer Rohit Sharma, saying it was their way of bringing that celebratory spirit to the chess world.
