India faces setbacks at Chess Olympiad amid Asian Games hockey success

At the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, India’s dominance faced setbacks in the eighth round. Both the men’s open team and the women’s team were held to 2-2 draws, against Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan respectively. In the open section, world champion D Gukesh drew against Mahammad Muradli, while other Indian players including R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi also secured draws. This resulted in India slipping to seventh place in the open rankings. In the women’s section, India fell to fifth place following the draw, with Vaishali Rameshbabu suffering a loss to Alua Nurman.

In the Asian Games hockey competitions, India maintained strong momentum. The women’s team secured a 3-1 victory over Japan, a result that virtually guarantees them a spot in the semifinals. Meanwhile, the men’s team continued their winning streak with an 8-2 victory over South Korea, consolidating their position at the top of Pool A.

Additionally, the Bangladesh women’s hockey team achieved a historic milestone at the Asian Games by securing their first-ever point in the competition through a 3-3 draw against Kazakhstan.