Praggnanandhaa, Esow Alben win Sportstar Aces 2020 Young Athlete of the Year (Male)

Chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa and cyclist Esow Alben were joint winners of the Young Athlete of the Year prize at the Sportstar Aces Awards on Monday.

Published : Jan 13, 2020 20:38 IST

Praggnanandhaa, as the 21st seed, won the Xtracon Chess Open in Helsingor, Denmark, in July. Esow Alben won three gold medals – in the team sprint with an Asian record, the individual sprint and the keirin – at the Asian Championships in Indonesia in 2019.

Chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa and cyclist Esow Alben were joint winners of the Young Athlete of the Year prize at the Sportstar Aces Awards on Monday. Cricketer Atharva Ankolekar and shuttler Lakshya Sen were the other nominees.

The fourth youngest grandmaster on the all-time list, Praggnanandhaa has caught the imagination of the country. Three world age-group titles have underlined the growth of this 14-year-old prodigy.

A student of R. B. Ramesh, Praggnanandhaa enjoyed a great 2019, including the World under-18 title. His success in the Xtracon Open and London Chess Classic Open proved his potential to perform beyond those from his age-group.

Known for his in-depth opening preparation and deep understanding of positional and tactical formations on the board, Praggnanandhaa is shaping up as the most shining star amid the galaxy of teen talents in the country. He became the youngest Indian to cross the rating barrier of 2600, breaking the record of Nihal Sarin, set earlier last year.

Ramesh has been training Praggnanandhaa and his sister R. Vaishali. The duo has already done well at the global platform at the age-group level. But for the supporting role played by Ramesh, who does not charge these children any coaching fee, much like Ramesh does with other needy talents, the duo would have lost great opportunities to prove their prowess.

Praggnanandhaa could not receive the award owing to sickness and stayed back in Chennai. On his behalf Ramesh said, “Praggnanandhaa was extremely happy to receive the award, though he has been sick for the last few days, and in fact, he had to withdraw from the training camp that is being held in Chennai, with the Grandmasters Vladimir Kramnik and Boris Gelfand. But he is extremely happy to receive the award from Sportstar and The Hindu . I’m sure this will go a long way in motivating him to keep improving his performance and do better in the coming years.”

Eighteen-year-old Esow Alben had a terrific 2019 that saw him clinch six medals and emerge as the next big thing in Indian cycling.

The teenager from Port Blair also secured three Asian records to his name, further highlighting his glorious year. His dazzling performances earned him the Sportstar Aces 2020 Young Athlete of the Year (Male) award along with chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa.

“I am very happy to receive this award. Sportstar has promoted cycling sport a lot. Such award ceremonies are very important for athletes because then we see athletes from other disciplines too and that India is growing in sports,” he said.

Esow is a huge fan of the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo, who he considers “very motivational and one of the most dedicated and successful players.”

When it comes to the cycling track, Esow looks up to Malaysian cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, who’s fondly known as ‘The Pocket Rocketman’. “My role model is Awang. He was won an Olympic medal (bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics) and is a very technically sound cyclist,” he said.

Content with a fine run last year, Esow is now targeting the 2020 Asian Championships, while keeping his eye on the bigger picture — the 2024 Olympics. “My ultimate goal is to make it to the Olympics and win a gold medal. I missed out on qualifying for this year’s Olympics but I have age on my side and aim to make it for the 2024 Olympics,” he added, signing off on an optimistic note.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, chess ace Vishwanathan Anand, The Hindu Publishing Group chairman N. Ram, former India hockey captain M. M. Somaya, Olympian shooter Anjali Bhagwat and Olympian shuttler Aparna Popat selected the deserving winners in categories involving young athletes, teams, coaches and parathletes.

The awards look to create a medium of knowledge and vision exchange as it brings all stakeholders of Indian sports under one roof.

You can watch the Sportstar Aces Awards telecast on Sony Ten 1 SD & HD on Sunday 26 January at 8 PM (IST).

1st Repeat : Monday 27 January at 6 PM, 2nd Repeat : Tuesday 28th January  at 7 PM