Nashik: Chess Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi Honoured With Arjuna Award By President Murmu

Nashik: Nashik-born international chess Grandmaster Vidit Santosh Gujrathi was honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on November 13, 2026.

Vidit, who was born and brought up in Nashik and completed his schooling at Fravashi Academy, earned national recognition for his outstanding achievements, including winning the 2023 International Chess Federation (FIDE) Grand Swiss, participating in the 2024 Candidates Tournament and helping India secure a historic gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad. Reflecting Maharashtra's rich chess tradition, both Arjuna Awards in chess this year went to the state, with Nagpur Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh also receiving the honour.

Following the historic achievement, Nashik Collector Ayush Prasad congratulated Vidit, saying that he had elevated Nashik's name on the global sporting map. Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan said the award would inspire young talent across the district and announced that a grand felicitation ceremony would soon be organised in Nashik in Vidit's honour.

Minister Chhagan Bhujbal also congratulated the Grandmaster, describing the award as recognition of the collective efforts of Nashik's sporting ecosystem, including teachers, coaches, parents and players. He expressed confidence that Nashik would continue to produce many more champions in the future.

School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse also extended heartfelt congratulations to Vidit and highlighted the importance of promoting sports at the school level. Maharashtra's School Education and Sports Department continues to encourage young sporting talent through initiatives aligned with the Centre's Khelo India programme. These include national school sports competitions, state-level school chess tournaments, annual scholarships of ₹5 lakh for selected national-level players for eight years, 100% central assistance for sports infrastructure in schools and state cash awards of ₹5 lakh, ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh for Khelo India medal winners, respectively.