Nagpur: Chess queen Divya Deshmukh will finally get India’s second highest sporting honour. After emerging as India’s first Women’s World Cup winner, Vidarbha’s first girl to become a Grandmaster and Nagpur’s first Olympiad gold medallist, Divya added another illustrious first — the Arjuna Award. What’s more, at 20, Divya added another jewel to her much-adorned crown to become Nagpur’s youngest Arjuna recipient.In 2023, ace city archer Ojas Deotale, at 21, was the youngest Arjuna awardee while Paralympians Vijay Munishwar and Joginder Singh Bedi were given the prestigious honour way back in 2000. In 1996, Nagpur-born Neeta Dadwe, who played kabaddi as a kid at Maratha Lancers, won the Arjuna Award for her heroics while representing Railways from Hyderabad.Union sports ministry took note of Divya’s glorious achievements by selecting her for the coveted Arjuna Award along with 16 others on Tuesday. President Droupadi Murmu will soon present the award to Divya in New Delhi.In 2019, Maharashtra govt conferred the prestigious Shiv Chhatrapati Award on Divya, and at 13, she was the youngest recipient of the state honour.The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra was sent to sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya for final approval. The committee had recommended 24 names for Arjuna, but only 17 were approved by the ministry on Tuesday. The awards announcement came after a re-evaluation process to ensure only worthy names were honoured. For the third time since India’s highest sporting honour was instituted in 1991, no sportsperson was picked for Khel Ratna.From the day Divya started making her moves on the 64-square chequerboard, she has been a consistent performer. Representing India over 40 times, the 20-year-old Divya has to date won 24 gold, seven silver and five bronze medals at various international tournaments.In July last year, Divya scripted history by winning the Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, and the emphatic triumph made her India’s 88th Grandmaster. Divya is only the fourth Indian woman after Koneru Humpy, D Harika and Vaishali Rameshbabu to become a GM, and the world’s 44th woman GM.In 2024, Divya became the world junior champion in Gujarat and was also a member of the Indian team that won the Chess Olympiad. She also won the Board 3 gold medal for a double delight.Before graduating to the senior level, Divya had been the world junior No. 1 across all formats of chess — standard, rapid and blitz.Looking at Divya’s consistent performance, the sports ministry finally picked her for the Arjuna Award, which she would have got last year. Divya’s mother, Dr Namrata Deshmukh, said, “This is a proud moment for all of us. This honour is a result of Divya’s consistent performances at the national and international competitions.”Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Divya and other awardees from Maharashtra including Nashik’s chess GM Vidit Gujrathi, shooting coach Neha Chavan and Pune’s Army Paralympic Node for winning the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.Instituted in 1961, the Arjuna is awarded annually by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognise consistent excellence at the international level over the preceding four years and for the determination to overcome challenges and inspire the nation.
