Father quits Singapore job, pawns jewellery to back teen's Chess Olympiad debut
Savitha Shri, a 19-year-old from Chennai, replaces veteran Harika Dronavalli on India’s women’s team for the 2026 Chess Olympiad after her family made major sacrifices.
India’s women’s chess squad for the 2026 Olympiad in Samarkand will feature 19-year-old Savitha Shri, who replaces gold-medal veteran Harika Dronavalli after the latter announced she will focus on individual events. Savitha’s rise follows a childhood spent watching her older brother Mugesh play, leading her father Baskar to abandon a Singapore electrician job and return to India to back her career. Financial strain forced the family to pawn Baskar’s gold jewellery to cover entry fees, and a school sponsorship later enabled her to compete in Kazakhstan, where she captured a bronze medal.
After a corporate sponsor withdrew, the family survived on limited resources until a Tamil Nadu government scheme provided recent support. Savitha’s selection comes after a silver-medal performance at the 2022 Asian Games and a historic team gold in Budapest two years earlier.
Why it matters
The story highlights the personal sacrifices behind elite sports participation and India’s emerging chess talent.
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