MUMBAI: Paddy Upton described a scenario he played "over a hundred times" in his head as he flew from South Africa to Singapore. In it, he would meet Gukesh Dommaraju shortly after the Indian Grandmaster won the World Chess Championship title. They would embrace, and Upton would tell him, "You deserve this."
"It was uncanny that the movie I played in my head played out exactly in real life as I'd imagined," Upton tells HT over the phone, reflecting on his first-ever meeting with Gukesh, who beat China's Ding Liren to become world champion last week.
Upton, a renowned mental coach from South Africa, has had a long history of helping Indians on their journey to success. He worked with the Indian men's cricket team that won the 2011 ICC World Cup, as well as the men's hockey team that won bronze at the Paris Olympics in September. He now has a fresh success story to share - that of being part of 18-year-old Gukesh's team. Excerpts:
How have the last six months been for you working with Gukesh?
Gukesh was an absolute pleasure to work with. He had remarkable self-awareness and ability to reflect on his thinking and he would arrive with great questions. He was so receptive to different ideas and new thinking, but he still had the maturity to discern what was relevant for him and what wasn't.
Gukesh comes across as a mature and measured person. Do you feel that sometimes he needs to perhaps act his age, be a teen once in a while?
This story is from the December 21, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Navi Mumbai.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 21, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Navi Mumbai.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Cummins, the pace spearhead driving Australia's serial success
Knack for wickets, unparalleled control and a never-say-die attitude for which Glenn McGrath will be revered as possibly the greatest Australian fast bowler in the last four decades.
Agarkar to Brief Selectors Ahead of BCCI Meet on Sunday
The selection committee will be in full attendance for the knockout rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-dayers in Vadodara, which start with the pre-quarter finals on Thursday.
Djokovic: At his happy hunting ground, with an old foe in tow
The Serbian has worked with Becker, Agassi and Ivanisevic. In Murray he has access to the mind of a master tactician
Indian hockey players bonding with the best in relaunched HIL
Skipper Sumit Walmiki and Australian Tim Brand walked to the dugout, shared a laugh and high-fived after Hyderabad Toofans' practice.
Shooter Tomar Finds Fresh High After Domestic Double
Varun Tomar's dream of representing India at the Paris Olympics was crushed when he lost in the domestic selection trials to pick the final squad.
Neeraj to star in a world javelin event in India
India's two-time Olympic medallist and reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra will be the star attraction in a marquee international javelin tournament at home later this year, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said on Tuesday.
Cloud over review of 14-yr-old trade pact with Asean
THE REVIEW HAS STALLED SINCE INDIA'S OFFER OF A UNIFIED DUTY STRUCTURE HAS NOT FOUND FAVOUR AMONG ASEAN MEMBERS
Meta Goes For Community Notes, Ends Fact-Checking
Meta Platforms chief executive officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday announced a decision to do away with the company's long-standing fact-checking teams—choosing instead to establish a 'community notes' mechanism akin to Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter.
Capex allocation likely to rise 10% for roads, rlys
The Centre proposes to keep its focus on rapid infrastructure growth in the next financial year, with plans to push capex allocation for the ministries of road transport and highways, and railways in the upcoming budget by up to 10%, two persons aware of the development said.
Microsoft to Invest $3 Billion in AI, Cloud Expansion in India
The tech giant also plans to train 10 million people in AI skills in India by 2030
