Chhattisgarh’s eminent international chess player Kiran Agrawal appointed as Indian chess team coach

Raipur: Chhattisgarh’s eminent international chess player Kiran Agrawal has been appointed as the coach of the Indian chess team by the All India Chess Federation. Kiran will take charge in the upcoming Commonwealth Chess Championship to be held in Sri Lanka from November 13 to 23. She will be taking part in the championship along with the 16-membered Indian team.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has congratulated her on being appointed as the coach. Extending his best wishes for her future endeavors, he said that her excellent sportsmanship and experience of years will benefit the Indian team. Sports and youth welfare minister Umesh Patel congratulated her saying that she has given a remarkable contribution to nurturing the budding sports talents. Under her mentorship, the Indian chess team will definitely do its best. Earlier in 2004, Agrawal hailing from Bhilai in the Durg district had bought laurels to the state, becoming the coach of the Indian chess team.

The chess fraternity of the state has expressed its happiness at the appointment of Agrawal as coach of the Indian chess team. Kiran also got an opportunity to hold the torch of the first-ever torch relay for the Chess Olympiad held this year. Besides Kiran, Pravin Thipsay, V Ravichandran and Prasannajit Dutta have also been appointed as the coaches of the Indian chess team.

Achievements of Kiran Agrawal

Kiran Agrawal is the only female chess player from the state, who has been conferred the title of Woman FIDE Master by the International Chess Federation. Kiran has represented India in more than 15 prominent countries including London, Dubai, Germany, Yugoslavia, Bangladesh, and Doha (Qatar), and has outshined her opponents. In 1986, the then Madhya Pradesh government conferred the ‘Vikram Award’ on Agrawal for her outstanding achievements.