De Gukesh, the youngest ever chess world champion who created history by defeating defending champion Ding Liren, was impressive in his own right when he presented the trophy at the closing ceremony on Friday.
“I mean this moment, it feels like I’ve lived it a million times. Every morning when I wake up, this moment is the reason I woke up. This trophy and this reality is more than anything else in my life,” he said after receiving the gold medal and US$1. .3 million in his acceptance speech after presenting the trophy with the prize.
He also praised rival Ding, calling him a ‘true champion’ and saying he admired him.
The people around me have made this journey beautiful. I would also like to thank my opponent, Ding Liren. He is a true champion in my eyes and we saw that despite a lot of pressure on him, he was able to put up a great fight and this match has only been showcased because of his fighting spirit. I really appreciate you,” said Gukesh.
The last 24 hours have been a blur for the champion who experienced mixed emotions after losing to Liren in Game 14.
Along with the trophy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also announced a prize of Rs 5 crore to Gukesh, who became the second Indian after the iconic Viswanathan Anand to win the World Chess Championship crown.
“To honor the historic achievement of @DGukesh, the youngest world chess champion, I am happy to announce a cash prize of £5 crore! His historic victory has brought great pride and joy to the nation. May he continue to shine and achieve greater heights in the future,” Stalin said in a tweet.
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