Industrialist Anand Mahindra is known for sharing quirky and informative posts that attract the attention of social media users. His "Monday Motivation" messages are meant to give his followers a boost on the very first day of the work week. This time, the Mahindra Group Chairman shared a story of a young boy who spent the entire night travelling for a chess tournament and was observed napping in front of a board before the match.
In the caption of his post, Mr Mahindra wrote that there were 1600 children attending the school chess competition in Tamil Nadu's Hosur. He recalled the boy's journey to the venue and stated that he wanted to be the next Magnus Carlsen - the Norwegian chess grandmaster.
"A recent school chess competition in Hosur had 1600 kids from all over. This boy traveled all night by bus (changing buses twice) then walked from the depot. Took a nap before the match. Wants to be the next Magnus. Kids like him shape India's future. He's my #MondayMotivation," Mr Mahindra wrote while sharing a photo of the boy napping in front of the chess board.
Take a look below:
Since being shared, Mr Mahindra's post has accumulated more than 25,000 likes and over 712,000 views. In the comment section, several users pointed out the inspiration in the young boy's story and also praised the Mahindra Group Chairman's effort to promote the child's story.
Responding to the tweet, Nipun Marya, Indian CEO of IQOO, wrote, "Things we can learn from children: push yourself, break boundaries. Totally, inspiring. All the best, champ." Another Twitter user added, "Brilliant story. Yes, this indeed is the hope for our nation, the sheer grit of people to surpass all odds and succeed. Magnus here we come."
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However, some users also listed down hardships chess players and sportsmen feel. While one user recalled how underfunded the competition was during their days and how the problem has still persisted, another suggested that the government should have arranged transport facilities for the pariticiapnts who are from distant areas.
"Each Chess player in India would relate easily to this. Being a chess parent for 7 yrs and running, I can vouch for the dedication, struggles & patience of chess kids & parents. Not at all an easy task to shine a bit extra in such a galaxy of talented stars. Sadly, Output<Input," wrote one user.
"Actually chess tournaments took 3 to 5 days+traveling days. Parents have to bear the cost of traveling to that city, stay, cost, office leave etc. 15k to 40k around per tournament. 1 or 2 child get some fund from states. So other bright players have to struggle like this," commented another.
