No handshake! India's Harika breaks silence on Uzbek GM's 'Namaste'

NEW DELHI: In this integer age, erstwhile each motion is scrutinised nether the microscopic lens of societal media, a fleeting speech astatine the recently-concluded Grenke Freestyle Open snowballed into a large-scale societal media debate.As India’s Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronavalli extended her manus to resign her crippled against Uzbekistan GM Nodirbek Yakubboev, the second responded with a polite, folded-handed "Namaste" alternatively of the accepted handshake.

The clip, arsenic soon arsenic it landed connected societal media, went viral astir instantly, drafting a substance of taste praise and crisp disapproval toward Yakubboev for "rejecting" the handshake.

However, Harika has present stepped successful to wide the air, expressing her disappointment implicit however the young Uzbek subordinate is being treated by the integer tribunal of nationalist opinion.Speaking exclusively to TimesofIndia.com, Harika was speedy to disregard immoderate conception of malice oregon disrespect, revealing that the speech was acold much coordinated than it appeared connected the screen."I was amazed to spot these videos and radical blaming him for it due to the fact that I felt truly bad. Especially earlier the game, helium came and said, like, 'I can’t bash a handshake.' I said, it’s wholly fine. I mean, I understand," Harika said.

The disorder that viewers witnessed astatine the extremity of the crippled was not a effect of Yakubboev being cold, but alternatively a byproduct of Harika’s ain decades-long nonrecreational habits.Having played astatine the highest level for implicit 26 years, the enactment of extending a manus astatine the decision of a crippled is an involuntary reflex for the Indian legend."In truthful galore years, the manus conscionable went disconnected instinctively arsenic I was resigning. Then erstwhile helium said Namaste, I realised.

I said sorry, it was conscionable retired of habit. Unfortunately, that is the 1 committee which was having this camera connected us, and that someway went viral successful a antithetic way, which I ne'er would privation immoderate idiosyncratic to beryllium blamed for thing which helium didn't do," the 35-year-old GM remarked.'He ne'er did thing wrong': HarikaFor 24-year-old Yakubboev, this is not the archetypal clip his spiritual beliefs person intersected with the rigid protocols of the chessboard.

Last year, during the Tata Steel Challengers successful Wijk Aan Zee, a akin incidental occurred with Vaishali Rameshbabu, which led to important disorder and consequent apologies.On that occasion, Yakubboev went retired of his mode to contiguous Vaishali with flowers and chocolates connected the sidelines, clarifying that his refusal to interaction women was rooted successful his spiritual beliefs and not a deficiency of respect for his opponents.

Harika, who knows Vaishali closely, noted that neither of them took offence.

She believes it is unfortunate that Yakubboev is being seen successful a airy that contradicts his existent character."He ne'er insulted anyone, helium ne'er did thing wrong. He conscionable informed. But erstwhile you spot lone actions, you miss the context, and you tin instrumentality it the incorrect way," Harika added.Beyond the viral clip, Harika’s show successful Germany was a milestone for Indian sports, arsenic she secured the apical women’s prize and became the archetypal Indian to suffice for the inaugural FIDE Women’s Freestyle Chess World Championship.Yet, she lamented that specified catchy moments often overshadow existent sporting achievements and expressed interest that the unnecessary limelight could instrumentality a toll connected a player’s intelligence well-being, particularly erstwhile they person done thing wrong.ALSO READ: ‘Blank mind’ and bold leap - How Harika Dronavalli cracked freestyle chess connected debut"It’s bittersweet to spot definite things taking the limelight much than chess. It could person affected him mentally, which was not adjacent needed. For me, I judge that everyone is good, everyone is trying to bash their champion and has their ain content system. We conscionable respect each different and effort to play chess connected the board," she concluded.