Two school girls have done Gurgaon proud as they secured top spots in state championship to represent Haryana in the upcoming national chess championship in Chennai.
Navya Tayal, 12, came first while Riya Dhamija, 14, came third in the fifth Haryana State Women Chess Championship held in Bahadurgarh. The championship was organised by Haryana Chess Association and Bahadurgarh Chess Foundation.
She’s not even in her teens, but Navya proved her mettle against those above 30. A resident of Old DLF Colony, Sector 14, and a student of Delhi Public School, Sector 45, Navya has done her home work well. She says, “I have been practicing the game for more than four years now and Chess is as good as heartbeat for me. I have been trained by many coaches and have learnt many tricks of the trade from them.”
Navya’s inspiration is her brother Chirag, also a state Chess champion and part of the under-17 team. Her parents, Manoj Kumar and Meenakshi Gupta, are keeping their fingers crossed for the upcoming nationals. Her mother says, “It was so hard to believe that our daughter has taken another step on the ladder of success. We are praying for her next championship now.”
Residents in the colony are also wishing her well. Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, general secretary of Awadh Mani Society, B-block in Old DLF Colony, told City Spidey, “We wish that Navya wins the national championship and does our society, state and country proud. She has already made residents of the sector proud.”
Riya Dhamija poses with her cup at the Haryana State Women Chess Championship held in Bahadurgarh.
Riya, who stays in Sector 4 and is a ninth standard student of DAV Public School in Sector 48, has a her feet firmly on the ground and eyes on the target despite the success she’s had at the state level. She says, “It feels so great to have come this far but there is lot more to achieve. I have been taking classes at home for more than three years, but still feel that I can do better.” It’s not just Chess on her mind however. Her neighbour and classmate, Hritika, says, “She is a bright student as well as a sports person. Despite academic pressures, she manages to find time for Chess.”
Dharam Sagar, convener of Sector 4 RWA, says, “We are very pleased about her (Riya’s) success as she is a resident of our sector. Our heartiest congratulations to her family and her. We are always with the family and pray for her success in the next coming national championship.”
About the championship, Naresh Sharma, general secretary of Haryana Chess Association, says, “This time Haryana will be represented by four players. While two of the four girls, Navya and Riya, are from Gurgaon, the remaining two participants are from Sonipat. Their expenses for the championship will be borne by Haryana Chess Association."