Renowned Indian grandmaster and Arjuna awardee Abhijeet Gupta has challenged the Odisha Open organizers over unpaid prize money after winning the tournament this year. Abhijeet sought help from the Sports Ministry after he alleged that the organizers failed to fulfill their promise after repeated assurances.
Although he wrote several letters to the All India Chess Federation (AICF), the medalist of the Chess Olympiad has yet to receive a financial reward for winning the Odisha Open earlier in the year. Abhijeet said that he had approached the AICF to resolve the issue but did not get any response.
“I won the Odisha Open in January 2026. The organizers assured me that the prize money would be paid within a month. But when I responded later, they stopped responding.”
“As the tournament was affiliated to the All India Chess Federation, I also approached the president and secretary of the federation, hoping that the matter would be resolved fairly. Unfortunately, there was no response from them either.”
“If this can happen to someone who is honored with the Arjuna award, one can only imagine the struggles faced by entry-level chess players in India.”
“I kindly request the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to look into this matter and help ensure that the players receive their rightful remuneration in a transparent and accountable manner.”
“This is not just about one unpaid prize. This is about protecting the dignity and confidence of every chess player in India,” said Abhijeet on X. (Credit: Abhijeet Gupta X)
WHY DID ABHIJEET TURN TO SOCIAL MEDIA?
According to a PTI report, the Odisha association is embroiled in fighting, with its bank account frozen and organizers unable to pay bills. Abhijeet said that the fights in the Odisha association have been going on for years and there is some accountability on the part of the AICF.
“The dispute in the Odisha association has been going on for years. They were managing the tournament and it was affiliated to the AICF. So there must be some responsibility on the part of the national federation,” Abhijeet told PTI.
“I totally understand (their account could have been frozen) but what am I supposed to do as a player? They shouldn’t have held the tournament in the first place. As a sportsperson, you win a lot less tournaments and lose more… that’s what I feel in general,” Abhijeet added.
Abhijeet told PTI that the organizers owed him Rs. 5.5 million in prize money. The Chess GM sent a follow-up tweet saying that the AICF president, Nitin Narang, had assured him that the necessary action had been initiated.
“All India Chess Federation President @narangnitinji called me and assured me that necessary action has been initiated!” said on Abhijeet on X. (Credit: Abhijeet Gupta X)
According to an AICF source, the organizers were unable to pay Gupta’s prize money due to financial constraints due to an ongoing dispute within the Odisha State Chess Federation, which reportedly led to the freezing of his bank account.
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Published on:
09 May 2026 15:57 IST
