CHENNAI: When Ramesh Babu got a call from Nagalakshmi around 12.10am, his wife and mother of candidates champion R Vaishali, it was known that her flight had landed in Chennai, from Frankfurt.
Days after beating Kateryn Lagno in the final round of the Women’s candidates at Paphos, Cyprus to emerge victorious, Vaishali returned to Chennai midnight on Sunday.
The international arrivals at the Chennai International airport saw an outpour of emotions much before her arrival. Families reuniting, children finally getting to see their parents who were just pixels of various colours on their mobile screens for a while. As flight activity got curtailed due to US-Israel’s war with Iran, those waiting at the terminal had their reasons to have their emotions.
But at the extreme left of the A5 exit of the T2, Vaishali’s father, relatives and friends patiently waited, even after knowing that she had landed. While her father waited for his daughter, son and wife like any other man would, the relatives and friends kept their excitement levels on top. Around 30-35 school students trying to battle sleep kept waiting, as they were to unfurl a banner which read ‘R Vaishali, Candidates Champion.’
And by 1.15am, their champion finally walked towards the exit. The excitement further grew, the flowers which were in covers finally got to see the lights, the turbans waiting to be put on. It was the city’s way of welcoming one of its own.
But somewhere in the swelling crowd stood her father, with the walker on. His smile was radiant and wide when he saw his family just wearing off the tiredness the eight and a half-hour flight from Frankfurt had offered. (Vaishali flew from Larnaca (Cyprus) to Frankfurt for 4 hrs followed by a 5hr layover before boarding a flight towards Chennai).
After sharing a big embrace with her father, she was taken to a spot where she cut a cake which had the chess board, which read 'Congratulations Vaishali' with a Queen's piece.
Then amidst the crowd trying to get a glimpse of the 24-year-old, she spoke about the title win in Cyprus.
“It was a very close event and an unpredictable one, it could have gone either way and I am very happy. I won the last game which was very crucial in a very tense situation. She told select media at the airport.
With four rounds left, Vaishali was in the lead there in Cyprus. She said that the defeat to Zhu Jiner released the pressure she had from leading by a point. “Having a one point lead, I felt a lot of pressure. But after losing to Jiner, it was wide open and we were again in a joint lead. I felt like everything was back to normal and I was trying to focus on the remaining games,” she said.
This also marks the conclusion of a hectic campaign, where the stakes for the 24-year-old were high. “It's a long tournament and quite a grueling one. I think you have to be focused until the end to handle the pressure. Everything was a learning for me,” she said.
Will put a strong bid to host World C’ships: AICF official
Vaishali’s entry to the women’s world championship as a challenger against defending champion Ju Wenjun means that India will have two players on the table for a bid to be world champions. In the open category, reigning champ Gukesh will face Javokhir Sindarov, who won the candidates in Cyprus.
AK Verma, head of operations of All India Chess Federation (AICF) said that the national body will try to bring it to India. “We will fill the bid form first and then we will go to the bidding process,” he said.
In 2024, India missed out on hosting the Worlds, as Singapore got the hosting rights at the last, thanks to Google being roped in as a sponsor. “Initially, FIDE was ready to host (in 2024), frankly speaking,” he said. The TN government also pushed for the marquee event to be hosted here, as they were ready to pay appropriate fees, according to Verma.
