With the personal initiative of the Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, 9-year-old wonder chess girl Arshiya Das joined in week-long international chess tournament in Uzbekistan beginning on June 20.
The ONGC Tripura Power Corporation (OTPC) has decided to sponsor Arshiya to participate in national and international chess competitions following the request of the chief minister. Arshiya has already won acclaim at both national and international levels by winning prestigious tournaments among tough foreign competitors.
Arshiya belonging to a middle class family did not have the capacity to afford the expenses to participate national and international events and All India Chess Association is also in too poor financial shape to fund players’ participation in international events that made her participation uncertain.
Her father Purnendu Das, an employee of BSNL, recently met the chief minister and sought his help to let his daughter progress further in chess. At the chief minister’s intervention the OTPC authority adopted Arshiya and agreed to extend an annual financial assistance of Rs 12 lakh to finance her participation in international chess events.
The fund will be routed through the department of sports and youth programme of the state government, OTPC officials said adding considering her golden future the chief minister proposed OTPC to bear her cost by making Arshiya as its brand ambassador.
Within three days after confirmation of her finance, on June 19 Arshiya with her parents reported the organisers in Uzbekistan to participate in the event starting on June 20, which will be concluded on June 28 next.
