New Delhi: In this digital age, when every gesture is scrutinized under the microscope of social media, a momentary exchange at the recently concluded Greinke Freestyle Open sparked a massive social media debate.When India’s Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronavali extended his hand to Uzbekistan’s GM Nodyrbek Yakubov to resign from his game, the latter responded with a polite, clasped “Namaste” instead of the traditional handshake.
The clip, as soon as it hit social media, went viral almost immediately, drawing a mixture of cultural appreciation and sharp criticism towards Yakubov for “rejecting” the handshake.However, Harika has now stepped in to clear the air, expressing dismay at how the young Uzbek player is being treated by the digital court of public opinion.Speaking exclusively to TimesofIndia.com, Harika was quick to dismiss any notion of malice or disrespect, revealing that the exchange was much more coordinated than it appeared on screen.“I was shocked to see the videos and people blaming him for it because I felt really bad. Especially before the game, he came up and said, like, ‘I can’t shake hands.’ I said, that’s fine. I mean, I understand,” Harika said.The confusion that viewers witnessed at the end of the game was not the result of Yakuboev’s coolness, but rather the result of Harika’s decades-long professional habits.After playing at the highest level for over 26 years, stretching out his hands at the end of a game is an involuntary reflex for the Indian legend.“Over the years, just as I was resigning, the hand went away spontaneously. Then when he said namaste, I realized. I said sorry, it was out of habit. “Unfortunately, it’s the same board that had this camera on us, and it somehow went viral in a different way, which I would never want anyone to blame for something they didn’t do,” remarked the 35-year-old GM.‘He never did anything wrong’: HarikaFor the 24-year-old Yakubboev, this is not the first time his religious beliefs have been intertwined with the strict protocol of chess. Last year, during the Tata Steel Challengers at Vijak on Zee, a similar incident happened to Vaishali Ramesh Babu, which led to a lot of confusion and a later apology.At this point, Yakubov goes out of his way to present Vashali with flowers and chocolates, making it clear that his refusal to touch women stems from his religious beliefs and not a lack of respect for his opponents.Harika, who knows Vaishali closely, notes that neither of them resented it. She thinks it’s unfortunate that Yakubov is being seen in a light that contradicts his true character.“He never insulted anybody, he never did anything wrong. He just reported. But when you only see actions, you forget the context, and you can take it the wrong way,” Harika added.Apart from the viral clip, Harika’s performance in Germany was a milestone for Indian sports, as she won the women’s top prize and became the first Indian to qualify for the inaugural FIDE Women’s Freestyle Chess World Championship.Nevertheless, he lamented that such glamorous moments often overshadow real sporting achievements and expressed concern that unnecessary limelight can affect an athlete’s mental wellbeing, especially when they have done nothing wrong.Also read: ‘Empty mind’ and bold leaps – how Harika Dronavali broke freestyle chess for the first time“It’s sad to see some things taken more lightly than chess. It could have affected him mentally, which was unnecessary. For me, I believe that everyone is good, everyone is trying to do their best and has their own belief system. We just respect each other and try to play chess on the board,” she concluded.
