Chess champion feels left out, vents her anger on Twitter

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 18

Mallika Handa, a city-based speech and hearing-impaired chess champion, on Thursday tweeted and vented out her anger against the state government for not giving her a job.

Notably, Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi posted that 26 sportspersons were given jobs today.

She tagged the official handle of Sodhi and tweeted, “I am also a world champion in chess. Why I was not invited. I am sitting at home and feeling depressed. No one is seeing my efforts.”

Suresh Handa, father of Mallika, said he along with her daughter had met the sports minister and Sodhi had given them assurances, but nothing happened.

“Mallika will complete her graduation. We hope that she gets what she deserves. She has made the country proud by winning medals at the national and international-level,” he said.

Suresh added that Mallika often gets depressed as the the state government has not acknowledged her efforts.

Mallika had won the National Chess Championship for Deaf, which was held at Mysuru from January 8 to January 12 last year.

She had won a silver medal in the World Deaf Blitz Chess Championship held in Manchester.

She has also competed with able-bodied players in the 43rd World Chess FIDE Olympiad, which was held in Georgia.

Her mother, Renu Handa, said Mallika has played several state and national-level competitions and won medals, but the state government never extended any help to her.