Arjuna awardee
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Vantika Among 5 Indian Chess Women Players Selected For Batch Of 2025 By 64 Squares Initiative
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar: 64 Squares, a joint initiative of Hyderabad-based Pravaha Foundation and Chess Startup, MGD1, is working to grow the stature of women’s chess in India. The 2025 cohort features a fellowship grant worth Rs 1 crore that will back five exceptional chess players, including IM Vantika Agrawal, WFM Shubhi Gupta, WFM Charvi Anilkumar, as well as emerging talents WIM Sarayu Velpula and WIM Sahithi Varshini.
The initiative aims to identify and support promising women chess players in India by covering their training, tournament participation, and exposure expenses for a year. Among the early beneficiaries was Arjuna Awardee Vantika Agrawal, who was selected for support in 2023. Since then, she has earned the title of International Master and brought home multiple accolades for the country, including team and individual golds at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
As she now sets her sights on achieving the prestigious Grandmaster title, Vantika has been included in the 2025 cohort of the initiative to support her journey further.
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