'India's Got Latent' Gambit? Behind Vantika's double bronze at Chess Olympiad
Indian chess player Vantika Agrawal shares how watching the comedy show 'India's Got Latent' helped her relax during the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. Her downtime contributed to her performance, where she secured an individual bronze medal.
Why it matters
It highlights the psychological aspects of elite sports and the unconventional methods athletes use to manage stress during high-stakes tournaments.
NEW DELHI: The 46th edition of the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan's Samarkand, like usual, had just one rest day, after Round 6. Consequently, India's Vantika Agrawal, who had beaten US chess legend Irina Krush in that sixth-round matchup on Board 3, ended up with three days away from the board anyway — the scheduled rest day, plus two more rounds where she was kept off the lineup by captain Swayams Mishra, against Germany and Kazakhstan.Too much chess prep over those first two days had left Vantika looking for an escape on the third. Samay Raina's popular show 'India's Got Latent' came to her rescue. She binge-watched the latest episodes on her third day off, then returned to the board the next day and clinched a win over Uzbekistan's Nilufarkhon Imomkuzieva in her Round 9 matchup."Usually I don't watch that much, because you don't get the time.
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