New Delhi [India], July 28 : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke to Divya Deshmukh through video conferencing and congratulated her for the sensational victory in the FIDE Women's World Cup against the veteran Koneru Humpy in the final on Monday.
Divya, a 19-year-old rising sensation in the world of chess, became the first Indian woman to clinch the Chess World Cup after overwhelming Koneru on Monday evening in the final via tiebreaks.
"This is a moment of joy and pride not only for Nagpur and Maharashtra, but also for the entire country," Gadkari said.
Divya Deshmukh became just the fourth Indian woman grandmaster and overall the 88th in the nation to clinch that title.
Humpy made a mistake by capturing the f pawn, which changed the tide in Divya's favour towards the final moments of the contest. Divya Deshmukh secured gold, Humpy Koneru pocketed silver, while China's sensation Tan Zhongy finished the tournament with a bronze medal.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also spoke on Divya's victory.
"We can see a glimpse of new India in this because of the encouragement that has been given to the players and sports in the past 10 years under the leadership of PM Modi; all the players are getting great exposure, particularly on the international level... It is our responsibility to support such promising players, and we will try our best to support all such players in the future as well," Fadnavis told the media.
Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal hailed both the finalists of the Women's World Cup, Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy.
In an X post, Kejriwal wrote, "Proud of India's daughters. In the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, two Indian daughters, Koneru Humpy and 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh, faced each other. Divya Deshmukh made history by winning this prestigious title and became the first Indian woman to win the Chess World Cup. Heartiest congratulations to her and all fellow countrymen for this splendid performance. Salute to Koneru Humpy as well for her outstanding performance. This is not just a victory, it is the strength of India's daughters."
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