World champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Divya Deshmukh are among the Indians in contention for the Best Chess Player honour in the inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards, which will be organised in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, alongside the 46th Olympiad in September.
Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi are among the 10 nominees for the best male player along with the enigmatic world number one Magnus Carlsen.
World Cup winner Divya, two-time world rapid champion Koneru Humpy and women’s Candidates winner R Vaishali are the Indian names that feature in the shortlist for best female player.
Gukesh and Divya have also been nominated in the best breakthrough performance category for their respective global titles.
Established earlier this year, the biennial awards will celebrate excellence across a two-year cycle. The inaugural awards cover achievements from September 2024 to August 2026.
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has been nominated in the category for best federation.
“Each of the eleven award categories, comprising six regular categories and five discretionary categories, features 10 nominees selected by the FIDE Excellence Awards Jury.
“The Jury was appointed by the FIDE President in consultation with the FIDE Management Board and the FIDE Excellence Awards Working Group,” the world body stated.
The selection process now moves to the awards selection panel, which will review the nominees and vote to determine the winner in each category.
The official shortlists are: Best Chess Player (Male): Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, Arjun Erigaisi, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer, R Praggnanandhaa, Javokhir Sindarov.
Best Chess Player (Female): Bibisara Assaubayeva, Divya Deshmukh, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Koneru Humpy, Lei Tingjie, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Ju Wenjun, Zhu Jiner.
Best Tournament (Open): Abu Dhabi Chess Festival, Aeroflot Open, Dubai Open, Grenke Freestyle Chess Open, Open Chess Menorca, Prague International Chess Festival Open, Qatar Masters Open, Reykjavik Open, Sharjah Masters, U.S. Open Chess Championship.
Best Tournament (Round-robin): Biel Chess Festival, Cairns Cup, Grand Chess Tour, London Chess Classic, Norway Chess, Prague International Chess Festival, Sinquefield Cup, Tata Steel Chess Tournament, TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament, UzChess Cup.
Best Federation: Chinese Chess Association, Colombian Chess Federation, Georgian Chess Federation, All India Chess Federation, Italian Chess Federation, Kazakhstan Chess Federation, Chess Kenya, Chess Federation of Serbia, Turkish Chess Federation, Uzbekistan Chess Federation.
Best Chess Initiative: Armenian School Chess Programme, Chess for Freedom, Chess for Protection, Chess in Schools and Communities, ChessBase India Foundation, Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI), FIDE Infinite Chess Project, Kasparov Chess Foundation Africa, Queens’ Online Chess Festival, The Gift of Chess.
Best Team: Ashdod Elit Chess Club, China (Open and Women’s National Teams), Dragon Chilling, Hexamind Chess Team, India (Open and Women’s National Teams), Kazakhstan (Open and Women’s National Teams), Team MGD1, United States (Open National Team), Uzbekistan (Open National Team), WR Chess Team.
Best Breakthrough (Rookie of the Year): Divya Deshmukh, Yagız Kaan Erdogmuş, Faustino Oro, Gukesh Dommaraju, Anastasiia Hnatyshyn, Vincent Keymer, Volodar Murzin, Javokhir Sindarov, Andy Woodward, Zhu Jiner.
Best Comeback: Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Ding Liren, Vladimir Fedoseev, Pentala Harikrishna, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Parham Maghsoodloo, Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Wei Yi.
Best Chess Player with a Disability: Jennitha Anto, Artom Andriienko, Griffin McConnell, Jamal Messala, Natasha Morales Santos, Lukasz Nowak, Jesus Osorio, Handenur Sahin, Marcin Tazbir, Jessica Lauser.
-PTI
Naveen, Ayesha win in NCR Cup Junior and Amateur golf tournament
Defending champion Naveen Rathi and Ayesha Gupta emerged victorious in the marquee Category A events as the NCR Cup Junior and Amateur Golf tournament concluded at the Classic Golf & Country Club here on Friday.
Organised by the Delhi Golf Society (DGS), the 25th edition of the tournament attracted more than 160 junior and amateur golfers from across the country.
Rathi (74) successfully defended the Category A boys’ title with a three-round total of one-under 215, while Ayesha clinched the girls’ crown after carding a final-round 73 for an aggregate of 221 (+5).
In the amateur section, Raunik won the men’s title with 223 (+7), while Diya Brar defeated Preitisha Gill in a playoff to lift the women’s trophy.
The younger categories also produced impressive performances.
Arush stole the limelight in the Category C boys’ event with a stunning five-under 67 in the final round to overturn the deficit and win with a two-day total of 141 (-3).
Unnati Singh claimed the Category C girls’ title at five-under 139, while Vedaansh Jain and Aarya Ganguly emerged champions in the Category D boys’ and girls’ divisions respectively.
In the Under-8 Category E competition, Zowra Veer Sikand and Manasvi Rathor secured the boys’ and girls’ titles.
-PTI
Ridhima falters at doorstep as Vidhatri wins 10th leg of Hero WPGT in play-off
Ridhima Dilawari faltered at the finish as she double bogeyed the 18th and final hole of the third and final round to force a play-off which she lost to Vidhatri Urs in the 10th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Friday.
Vidhatri (73) and Ridhima (75) were tied at 2-under 214.
Vidhatri edged out Ridhima in the extra hole to win her first title of the season and end a 21-month drought. She last won the 11th Leg at Delhi Golf Club in September 2024.
Vidhatri, who played in the second last group with Vani Kapoor (74), was in trouble early as she bogeyed the fifth and the seventh. She rallied on the back nine with back-to-back birdies on the 11th and the 12th before giving back a shot on the 17th. She set the clubhouse target 2-under 214 and waited for the final pairing of Ridhima and Amandeep Drall.
Ridhima, who started the day two clear of the field, was shaky as she dropped bogeys on the fifth and the seventh.
Ridhima, leader by two after the second round, seemed to have sealed her win with birdies on the 13th and the 15th to regain her lead even as Vidhatri had finished her final round with a 73 and a total of 214.
A bogey on the 16th made things tense and with only the final hole, a Par-5, ahead of her, Ridhima was still two ahead. Even a bogey would have sufficed for her fourth title of the season. However, she ended with a double bogey and that allowed clubhouse leader, Vidhatri, to get a second chance in the play-off and go onto win the title.
Vani Kapoor was a contender till 12 holes at which point she was 1-under for the day and 3-under for the tournament. Then came a double bogey on the 13th but she tried to rally with a birdie on the 16th. A bogey-bogey finish for a 74 ended her hopes, and she finished third at even par 216.
Amandeep Drall also had a rough final round with a 4-over 76 that included five bogeys and a double bogey against three birdies. She finished sole fourth at 1-over 217.
Young Saanvi Somu (74) was fifth at 2-over 218 and Anvvi Dahhiya (70), one of the only two players to shoot under par, was sixth at 3-over 219.
Jasmine Shekar (74) and Kashika Misra (78) were tied seventh while Anvitha Narender (75), Ananya Datar (75) and Mannat Brar (77) were tied ninth at 8-over.
Amateur Alysha Dutt (70), who shot one of the two under par scores of the day, was tied 12th with Riya Jadon (77).
Ridhima continues to lead the Hero Order of Merit with Rs 13,00,667 while Jasmine is second with Rs 10,82,333 and Amandeep Drall is third with Rs 10,18,333. Vani Kapoor (Rs 10,06,000) and Vidhatri Urs (Rs 8,22,166) follow them in fourth and fifth place.
Of the ten events held so far, Ridhima has won three while seven others have won once each.
-PTI
MMA fighter Sangram Singh takes on Pakistani rival on Sunday
Indian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Sangram Singh is set for one of the biggest contests of his combat sports career as he takes on Pakistan’s Mohammed Abid Ali for the prestigious STRIKE Asia Champion Title in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
The title fight has generated significant anticipation across the combat sports fraternity, with the winner set to be crowned the STRIKE Asia Champion.
The contest also marks another important milestone in Sangram’s remarkable transition from professional wrestling to mixed martial arts.
A two-time Commonwealth heavyweight wrestling champion, Sangram has enjoyed a flawless start to his professional MMA career.
He announced himself on the global stage by defeating Pakistan’s Ali Raza Nasir in just 90 seconds on his MMA debut in Georgia before registering impressive victories over Tunisia’s Hakim Trabelsi in the Netherlands and France’s Florian Coudier in Argentina.
His triumph in Argentina also made him the first Indian to win a professional MMA bout on Argentine soil, extending his unbeaten professional record to 3-0.
Speaking ahead of the championship bout, Sangram Singh said, “Every time I step into the cage, I don’t just fight for myself; I fight for 140 crore Indians. India versus Pakistan is always special, irrespective of the sport, and I fully understand the emotions attached to this contest.
“I have trained with complete discipline and respect for my opponent, but once the cage closes, my only mission will be to ensure that the Indian flag flies high. I believe fitness, dedication and mental strength are the biggest weapons any athlete can possess.”
-PTI
Punjab FC, Bengaluru FC register wins on youth Japan tour
Punjab FC has made it two wins from two on its RFDL Japan Tour 2026, delivering another commanding international performance to defeat Japanese outfit Giravanz Kitakyushu 3-1.
Following its resounding 5-0 thrashing of Avispa Fukuoka Under-18 in the tour opener, The Shers continued their rich vein of goalscoring form. Omang Dodum (37’), Singamayum Shami (45+3’), and Vishal Yadav (46’) found the back of the net for the winners, while Giravanz Kitakyushu managed a consolation strike in the 62nd minute.
Bengaluru FC too has won both of its matches. The Blues played Giravanz Kitakyushu U-18 and Sagan Tosu U-18 so far, winning the games 3-2 and 2-0 respectively.
FC Goa, meanwhile, has lost both games. The Gaurs’ fixtures account for a 0-1 loss to Sagan Tosu and a 4-5 defeat via penalties to Avispa Fukuoka after the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate prior.
- Team Sportstar
Villianur seals Playoff spot with seventh win
Defending champion Villianur Mohit Kings rode on Bhanu Anand’s 86 to beat Ruby White Town Legends by 33 runs on Friday for its seventh win in as many matches to become the first team to seal a Playoff spot in the 3rd Shriram Capital-Pondicherry Premier League.
-Team Sportstar
Comments
Published on Jul 17, 2026