L ondon, Bodhana Sivanandan, a nine-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl is set to make chess history after she became the youngest person selected to represent England internationally in any sport. The others in her team are all in their 20s, 30s or 40s. I was happy. Malcolm Pein, manager of the England chess team, described the schoolgirl as one of the most remarkable British chess prodigies he has ever seen.
Her father, Siva Sivanandan, says he remains mystified about where his daughter got her talent. Bodhana first picked up chess during the pandemic lockdown when Siva's friend was going back to India and gave her a few bags which also had a chess board. Soon after, she was among a group of young chess enthusiasts invited by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to 10 Downing Street to mark the government's major new GBP 1 million investment package for the game.
The package has since been in place to support children attending schools in disadvantaged areas across England to learn and play chess, improve the visibility and availability of the game, and fund elite playing.
Funds will support expert coaching, training camps and cutting-edge computer analysis for international events to assist current grandmasters and up-and-coming players. Alongside the support committed to elite players, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities DLUHC will provide GBP , to 85 local authorities across England to install new chess tables in public parks and outdoor green spaces to allow more people to play, connect, tackle loneliness, and develop problem-solving skills.
In addition, the outgoing Sunak-led government set out plans to encourage more primary school children, particularly girls, to learn to play the game. For more news like this visit The Economic Times. Bodhana Sivanandan, Indian-origin schoolgirl chess prodigy, to be youngest in England team.
