KOLLAM: The 17-year-old chess prodigy Jubin Jimmy is on the cusp of becoming a grandmaster. From a young age, the Kollam native displayed exceptional talent, excelling in international tournaments – in Spain, France, and Hungary. His remarkable performance has earned him an Elo rating of 2,452, establishing him as an international master.
However, despite his extraordinary skills and accomplishments, he faces a significant hurdle in securing sponsorships, which jeopardises his training programme and, more importantly, his participation in the upcoming major chess tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
His father Jimmy Joseph had sent a request letter to the chief minister’s office seeking possible financial support for his son. He also approached various private entities for sponsorship. However, despite his tireless efforts, they are yet to receive any positive responses.
Speaking to TNIE, Jimmy shed light on the challenges they are facing. “What we urgently require is personal coaching to enhance the skills for the upcoming international grandmaster chess tournaments. Foreign trainers charge $100 per hour for personal coaching, while Indian trainers demand Rs 5,000 per hour. Additionally, we would need up to Rs 3 lakh to cover the expenses of participating in the international tournaments. Although we have approached the state government and private organisations, we have not received any response so far,” he said.
Furthermore, he revealed that they had to rely on loans from banks and relatives for the previous major tournament. “Currently, I have a debts of about Rs 15 lakh. For each major tournament, I have to depend on loans. I have borrowed from KSFE, other banks, and relatives. This has placed a tremendous burden on us. Nonetheless, we refuse to give up, and my son will participate in the upcoming tournaments,” he said.
Jubin is scheduled to compete in the international chess competition in Dubai in August, followed by the World Champion Chess Tournament in October in Qatar. He needs 2,500 rating points to claim the grandmaster champion title, along with 3 ‘Norm points’, which entails defeating players with rating points over 2,500 in three tournaments.
However, Jubin’s family’s financial constraints have taken an emotional toll on him. “Our family is currently going through a challenging period. I have expressed to my father that I can pursue chess professionally once I secure a job. I have two brothers who are also in school,” Jubin said.