Mumbai, August 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s under-11 girls’ team secured a bronze medal at the ASEAN Age Group Chess Championship in Singapore, capping an impressive campaign at the international junior tournament.
The Indian team comprised Varenya Lakshmi Vaka and Aligiri Amrutha Hemal of Andhra Pradesh, along with Mumbai’s Maya Siddharth Narula, who represents the Mumbai Chess Centre (MCC).
India finished with 14.5 points, level with hosts Singapore, but secured the bronze medal on the basis of the tournament’s tie-break criteria. Vietnam claimed the gold medal with 19.5 points, while Singapore took silver.
The championship, which concluded on Tuesday night at Tampines Hub, featured more than 700 players from 27 countries, making it one of the prominent international junior chess events in the region.
The Indian players displayed consistency and fighting spirit throughout the competition, holding their own against leading junior players from across Asia. Their performance also underlined the growing depth of Indian junior chess across age categories.
Durga Nagesh Guttula, chief coach at Mumbai Chess Centre, said the performance demonstrated the strength and depth of Indian junior chess.
“Indian players have performed extremely well at this championship and have once again shown the strength and depth of Indian junior chess. What is particularly encouraging is that our players have been competitive and have made their presence felt across different age categories and events,” Guttula said.
He added that international age-group championships provide young players with valuable exposure and help them develop the confidence and experience needed to compete at the highest level.
Indian players have consistently performed strongly at age-group continental and global championships, winning medals across classical, rapid and blitz formats.
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