NEW DELHI: Arjuna Awardee Grandmaster (GM) Abhijeet Gupta, who became the first Indian to win five Commonwealth Chess Championship titles, has sparked a massive conversation regarding the treatment of athletes in India after taking to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that his prize money for winning the Odisha GM Open in January 2026 remains unpaid.In an exclusive conversation with TimesofIndia.com on Saturday, the GM expressed his frustration over the lack of accountability from both the tournament organisers and the All India Chess Federation (AICF).
The tournament, which included several grandmasters, concluded on January 24, 2026. The category ‘A’ had a total prize pool of Rs 25 lakh, with the winner set to receive Rs 5.5 lakh. Initially, Gupta was told his winnings would be transferred within a couple of weeks.“At that time, I was told by the organiser, ‘Your prize money will be transferred in a couple of weeks, so please don’t hassle… we are very busy.’ I didn’t bother much because it’s a normal practice in India that they don’t give the prize money in cash,” Gupta, who had clinched the title with an 8/10 score, told this website.However, weeks turned into months. After a follow-up in March, communication from the organisers went silent. “After a couple of months, they stopped answering altogether,” he added.Gupta, who received the prestigious Arjuna Award back in 2013, subsequently reached out to the AICF, noting that the tournament was officially affiliated with the national body.“I felt that AICF is also responsible… if it’s under AICF, there has to be some accountability,” Gupta added.Despite sending multiple emails to the federation’s President and Secretary since March, the GM has received no response. For the 36-year-old Gupta, the issue surpasses his personal finances, as he is deeply concerned about the precedent this sets for the next generation of Indian chess prodigies.“I’m already at that stage of my career where money doesn’t matter much. But imagine if some 10-year-old wins his first prize and doesn’t get it, what kind of precedent are we setting? If this can happen to someone honoured with the Arjuna Award, one can only imagine the struggles faced by players at the grassroots level,” he said.Gupta’s post on X has called upon the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to intervene, demanding transparency and the protection of the “dignity and trust of every chess player in India”.When asked about his next steps if the silence continues, Gupta remained cautious: “I have not decided anything yet. I’ll see how it pans out.”