Andhra felicitates Hari, Humpy

Mohammed Shafeeq

A proud Andhra Pradesh government has showered encomiums and cash rewards on its chess prodigies Pendyala Harikrishna, India's youngest grandmaster at 15, and Koneru Humpy, 14, women's junior champion.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu presented Harikrishna, who won the Commonwealth chess championship this year, with a cheque for Rs. 2.5 million and documents for a plot of land in the posh Banjara Hills neighbourhood in Hyderabad, and Humpy with a cheque for Rs. 3.5 million at a glittering function.

Naidu promised all help to the two chess prodigies to realize their dreams of becoming Grandmasters. He said their achievement was the made more remarkable by the fact they did not have the luxury of foreign coaches.

While Koneru Ashok coaches his daughter, Hari learnt chess from his grandfather Ranga Rao. The chief minister said he had written to the Central government to recognize the efforts of Ashok and Ranga.

"From weightlifter Karnam Malleswari to Hari and Humpy many sportspersons have brought laurels to the state in recent months," said Naidu.

All-England badminton champion Pullela Gopichand, cricketer V.V.S Laxman, triple Olympian and Indian hockey champion Mukesh Kumar are among the notable sportspersons from the state.

Naidu promised to provide world-class sports infrastructure in the state where new stadiums were being built and existing ones upgraded for the next year's national games in Hyderabad.

Badminton coach and Droncharya award winner S M Arif, Rajiv Khel Ratna winner Gopichand, Arjuna award winner P V Ramana, Indian weightlifter Raja Rajeswari were also honoured on the occasion.

A cheque of Rs. 125,000 was presented to Raja Rajeswari while world under-14 chess champion G. Rohit who qualified for 2002 Asian youth championship was given Rs. 105,000.

A cheque of Rs. 15,000 was also given to veteran athlete K. Venkateswar Rao, who finished fourth in Brisbane world athletic meet for veterans.

Indo-Asian News Service