India scripted history by claiming double gold at the Chess Olympiad 2024 with both the men’s and women’s teams winning their maiden gold medals. The men’s team defeated Slovenia after D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanadhaa won their respective matches in their final round match. The women’s team won their final match against Azerbaijan to secure the top prize. Vantika Agrawal was one of the members who impressed as part of the Indian team and she told NDTV that both the men’s and women’s team players were extremely proud to end India’s wait for the Olympiad gold medal.

“I just feel so happy. When we won the medal, we were on top of the world. We didn’t even know how to express ourselves. Winning double gold and that too for the first time. For the last 100 years, India has not won a gold and even last time, it was a bronze and now it is a double gold. We are just so proud to be playing for India and we are very happy,” Vantika Agarwal told NDTV in an interview.

“We had planned this. We planned that when we win the medal, we will do this dance, this celebration, we will make some reels and go for dinner. Before the tournament, we were the first seeds and it was kind of expected that we will win a medal. There was high pressure as we were playing on the top board but after the match against Poland, we had a two point lead. After the loss against Poland, we had to play USA and after Vaishali (Rameshbabu) lost, all the pressure was on me. I knew that I had to win and I was certain that I had to play the best chess of my life for my team and my country.” 

“There was a lot of pressure from the start to the end. But I was not thinking about anything and I just knew that I was playing for India. There were a lot of people watching and I had no choice but to play well. I knew that everything will work out if I give my best,” Vantika explained.

Vantika also said that her inspiration is the legendary chess player Viswanathan Anand and also added that she is a fan of multiple-time world champion Magnus Carlsen.

“My inspiration is Viswanathan Anand who is a five-time world champion. He keeps motivating us and he will even be there for us in Hungary. I am also a fan of Magnus Carlsen,” she concluded.