RAIPUR: Adding yet another glorious chapter to the chess history of Chhattisgarh, eminent international chess player Kiran Agrawal of steel city Bhilai has been appointed as the only female coach of Indian chess team for the second time, according to All India Chess Federation. She will be touring to Sri Lanka with the 16-member Indian team for the Commonwealth Chess Championship from November 13 to 23. Kiran was for the first time appointed as the coach of Indian chess team for Lebanon tour in 2004 and under her guidance the team bagged silver medal.
Kiran was also one of the torch bearers in the Chess Olympiad organised this year in Chennai.
One more chess genius of the state Vinod Rathi was appointed as Junior U-20 India coach in the year 2001 and the team toured Athens for the championship.
Kiran is the only female chess player from the state who has been conferred the title of Women FIDE Master by the World Chess Federation. Kiran has represented India in more than 15 major countries like London, Dubai, Germany, Yugoslavia, Bangladesh, Doha (Qatar) and has made her rivals stunned with her performance. In view of her achievements, the undivided Madhya government honoured her with the Vikram Award in 1986.
Meanwhile, players included in Indian team are Rahul Ramakrishnana and Charvi A (U-8), Vivaan Vishal Shah and Aadya Ranganath (U-10), Goutham Krishna H and Shubhi Gupta (U-12), Bagwe Gaurang and Anupam Sreekumar (U-14), Pranesh M and Boramanikar Tanisha S (U16), Soham Kamotra and Rindhiya V (U-18), Priyanka Nutakki (U-20), and Iniyan P, Chitlange Sakshi and Bhagyashree Thipsay (senior).
Other coaches are Praveen Thipsay, Ravichandran V and Prasenajit Dutta.
