GM Raunak excited to play in Global Chess League

 

 

NAGPUR’S Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani, who is picked by Balan Alaskan Knights for the inaugural Global Chess League, is excited to play for the franchise along with other international masters of chess. Global Chess League will be held at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club in association with the Dubai Sports Council from June 21 to July 2. Owned by Punit Balan Group (PBG), Balan Alaskan Knights is among the six franchises to compete in the league. The other teams are — Ganges Grandmasters, SP Alpine Warriors, Triveni Continental Kings, Chingari Gulf Titans and upGrad Mumba Masters. Sadhwani was picked during the players draft held in Mumbai where 36 front-line men and women chess players from across the globe were selected. Sadhwani, who emerged as the top player during the recently concluded Maharashtra Chess Challenge with maximum points, is the only Indian in the Balan Alaskan Knights side.

 

The other players of the team include Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan), Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), Tan Zhongyi (China) and Nino Batsiashvili (Georgia). “I am really excited to be a part of Balan Alaskan Knights. I am really looking forward to playing along with my team-mates. I hope we as a team can perform well and help the team win,” Sadhwani said. The 17-year-old Indian chess prodigy Sadhwani is eager to make his mark and get a much-needed exposure when he teams up with some of the biggest names of the chess world.

 

“It’s definitely a great opportunity to team up with some of the top players. It motivates me to perform well,” Sadhwani expressed his excitement. Punit Balan Group has been heavily investing to promote and encourage sports in India and has also owned franchises in the many other leagues including Ultimate Table Tennis, Pro Panja League, Premier Handball League, Premier Badminton League, Ultimate Kho, Tennis Premier League, Maharashtra Premier League and Motocross. The group also provides sports scholarships to talented athletes in various disciplines and supports various grassroots sports initiatives in order to bolster the growth of sports in India.