Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa's family is overwhelmed with the love and wishes pouring in for the chess prodigy who clinched the silver medal at the FIDE World Cup in Baku on Thursday.
Praggnanandhaa lost to world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the final which went into tiebreakers after Game 1 ended in a draw on Wednesday.
Carlsen won the first rapid game of the tiebreaker before Praggnanandhaa settled for a draw in the second to become the second Indian Grandmaster to reach the FIDE World Cup final after Viswanathan Anand.
Anand had clinched the gold medal twice in 2000 and 2002. Praggnanandhaa broke India's medal drought at the prestigious tournament by bagging the silver.
Pragg's family over the moon
Her sister Vaishali, who is a professional chess player herself, spoke to the media after her brother's heroics at the World Cup which is now being celebrated by the entire nation.
From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sachin Tendulkar and Hrithik Roshan, famous personalities have been hailing the 18-year-old's achievements ever since he reached the final after defeating world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana and world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura on his way to the reach the summit clash.
"...The whole nation is praying for him. I was getting goosebumps reading some of the messages. I am sure this is just the beginning of his career and he will bring lot of glory to the nation," Vaishali said.
PM Modi hails Pragg
PM Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Pragg on his performance and posted a heartfelt message for the 18-year-old from Chennai.
"We are proud of Praggnanandhaa for his remarkable performance at the FIDE World Cup!
"He showcased his exceptional skills and gave a tough fight to the formidable Magnus Carlsen in the finals.
"This is no small feat. Wishing him the very best for his upcoming tournaments," PM Modi tweeted.
