A resident of Power Grid Township in Sector 43, Gurgaon, is making waves not just in his housing complex but across the chess-loving fraternity. Sparsh Bisht, a Class 2 student of Amity International School (Gurgaon) bagged the fifth position in the 30th National Under-7 Open & Girls Chess Championship held in Puducherry between September 19 and September 27. Representing Haryana, this little champ fought it out with over 180 participating children.
Sparsh Bisht at the award ceremony in Pondicherry
Bisht was awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a certificate at the award ceremony held in Puducherry by the secretary general of All India Chess Federation, V Hariharan.
"I am very happy with his performance. He is a very promising player and we have high expectations from him. He has been regularly taking classes, and has a great passion for the game. Whenever we are at home, we play together and Sparsh always wins. He has won many medals at the district-and-state-level competitions. This victory will take him long way,” his father Rajinder -- who works with the Power Grid Corporation of India -- gushed over the phone from Puducherry.
Naresh Sharma, secretary general of Haryana Chess Association, too, praised Bisht for his achievement. "For a child of Under-7 category, to bag a position in a game where 182 players were competing is no small feat. It is a huge accomplishment. We will support him in every way we can,” he said.
