India Chess Star Tania Sachdev Seeks Justice, Pens Heartfelt Letter to Arvind Kejriwal. (Source: Instagram)
Indian chess star Tania Sachdev expressed her dissatisfaction on Monday, citing the lack of recognition from the Delhi government. In a heartfelt post on X, where she tagged former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, current CM Atishi Marlena and the Aam Aadmi Party, Sachdev reminded all the stakeholders about her contribution to Indian chess since 2008, including her gold medal at the 2024 Chess Olympiad. Addressing the letter to all three, she also spoke about the gross neglect directed at her despite her notable achievements on the global stage. According to Tania, she has not received enough support from her home state, which is in stark contrast to the accolades and respect that are given to players from other states.
"Having played for India since 2008 It's disheartening to see a lack of recognition from the Delhi government for achievements in chess. States that support and celebrate their champions, directly inspire excellence and motivate talent. Sadly, Delhi has yet to take this step."
In the 2022 Chess Olympiad I came back with a historic team bronze and an individual medal. Two years later 2024, the historic Chess Olympic gold, and till date there has been no acknowledgment or recognition by the state govt. As someone who proudly represents Delhi and India, I hope @AamAadmiParty @AtishiAAP ma'am @ArvindKejriwal sir see value in supporting their chess athletes," Tania posted on X.
After the tweet went viral, current Delhi CM Atishi Marlena replied to Tania and said, “Hi Tania, we have always supported all our athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen, especially in our schools. Would love to meet you and understand what more can be done especially for chess players.”
“My office will reach out to you and I am really looking forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions,” she added.
Earlier, Sachdev also urged the Delhi government to follow the Tamil Nadu model if it really wanted to produce Grandmasters like the Southern state has over the last few years.
"There's a reason why we see so many Grandmasters from Tamil Nadu. Why does every girl want to play badminton? Because she's seen a PV Sindhu," Sachdev had shared at the NDTV World Summit.
"Unless the state governments recognize the effort of its own players, how are you going to inspire the youth of a profession seriously?" she had added.
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