PANAJI: Bhakti Kulkarni has dedicated the prestigious Arjuna Award to the love and affection Goa has showered on her on the way to the glorious two-decade journey of the Margao-based chess star while chasing the pinnacle.
Bhakti will receive the award from the President Droupadi Murmu at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 30th November, 2022.
International Master Bhakti became only the third Goan to get the Arjuna Award. Goan football legends Brahmanand Shankhwalkar and Bruno Coutinho were the first two players to get the second-highest sporting honour of India, the Arjuna Award.
Speaking to www.livenewsgoa.com, IM Bhakti said: “This is not just my award but it’s for our Goans, chess fans, media people like you who helped me reach every person’s home! Many people have contributed in this successful journey, it’s a nice reward for all our hard work that we did for more than two decades! I am thankful to SAG for recommending my name. I am sure now there are many responsibilities and I shall work harder to uplift our game.”
Abhijeet Gupta had been conferred with Arjuna Award in 2013, and the next chess player to get this honour is Bhakti.
“The last award given to a chess player was in 2013, so this is very special for me,” added the Woman Grandmaster.
