India's Historic Gold Sweep at Chess Olympiad

Veteran D Harika and the Indian women's chess team clinched their maiden gold medal at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Despite personal performance dissatisfaction, Harika celebrated the team’s historic triumph. The team, including young stars like Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal, overcame setbacks to achieve this feat.

Veteran chess player D Harika endured a long wait to see her dream of winning the prestigious Chess Olympiad title come true. Finally, she achieved it, although not entirely satisfied with her personal performance in Budapest.

On Sunday, India made history as its men's and women's teams both claimed their maiden titles at the Chess Olympiad. The women's team, led by Harika, swept gold medals, defeating Slovenia and Azerbaijan in the final round.

Harika, 33, excelled on the top board, while 18-year-old Divya Deshmukh secured an individual gold by outplaying Govhar Beydullayeva on the third board. The captain, Grandmaster Abhijeet Kunte, praised the team for their resilience and outstanding performances.

(With inputs from agencies.)