UK's loss is India's gain: Facing deportation, 9-year-old UK national chess champion on verge of switching to the subcontinent
Often touted as the “most promising player of his generation”, Shreyas Royal's future is in jeopardy because he may have to return to India as his father's work visa is set to expire in September.
The nine-year-old moved to London with his family when he was just three and is extremely popular as he plays with children 10 years older than him. Prior to this, the family lived in Bangalore and his homecoming may happen soon.
When Sportskeeda got in touch with Jitendra, who works with the Tata Group as an IT Project manager, we found out what the heart of the matter really is and how the situation is panning out to be. There will certainly be two scenarios and the consequences of each will be poles apart for Shreyas.
"We still have to submit the application for Permanent residency to the UK Home Office. It will probably be done by the English Chess Federation, so we are waiting for them to file the application," Jitendra says.
Adding substance to his argument, Jitendra says,"We received tremendous support from the English Chess Federation and it has had a positive outcome for Shreyas. If he has to go back to India, everything needs to be started from scratch. I also do not know how much support Shreyas will get from the Indian Federation."The thing is when we moved to here, Shreyas was just three years old. He went to the Pointer School in Blackheath, on full scholarship on the basis of chess as well as academic excellence. A solid foundation has been built here in England and he has a lot of visibility here, having already played three international tournaments for England and winning medals for the nation," he adds.
Some people may question Jitendra and criticize him for being keen to stay back in the UK. However, at the moment, the sole priority for him is the little maestro and his chess, so having doubts about his nationality is certainly uncalled for. Yes, it is true he will be a national asset, but we have to take other things into consideration as well.
"On the contrary, people from the top level know him here. The likes of Malcolm Pein, who organizes the London chess classic are behind us to retain residency. Dominic Lawson, president of the English Chess Federation is also backing us. Shreyas has everything set for him here. He has spent two-thirds of his life here and has all his friends here. If he has to go back to India then I do not know how he will react."
A culture shock is what his parents fear for him most and the possibility that he may not be able to continue his chess, in the way he wants, is the worst possible outcome for him.
On a lighter note, Jitendra says, "Another major reason is that he does not understand Hindi and is not keen to learn, even after multiple attempts to teach him on our part. As per the food, he does not like Indian food as it is spicy and prefers boiled food he gets here."
Well, how can one blame the child for the food he likes and what he wants to study? Shreyas has not even reached adolescence yet, so one does expect him to throw a few tantrums every now and then. This is the birthright of every child and it will only grow as he hits the teens.
In his defence, Jitendra goes on to say, "We once tried to convince him to move back as well but I do not want to put any sort of pressure on him. From the perspective of my job, I do not have any problem. A lot of projects are going on in India and moving back would not be a problem."
"The World Championship is going to happen at London in November, where Magnus will play Fabiano Caruana and FIDE is giving Shreyas a huge opportunity to play the first move, for Magnus, which is usually given only to VIPs. This honour was given to him as World Chess conferred him with the prestigious title of 'candidate master' sometime back," the proud father reveals.
"It will be positive for us also if the Home Office considers our case. For us, it is not a problem as we lived in Bangalore for long before we moved here. Shreyas is our sole consideration and we have to put him first. Every weekend Anju and I are traveling here and there, going on vacations, but Shreyas is just focussed on his chess, such is his dedication to the game. I do not want him to be distracted amidst all this and just focus on his game.
"He will be playing in the London League next and has his plates full as National tournaments are coming up where he will represent his school. All this is due to his own interest and we never push him. One never knows how he will react in India and if he gets the same amount of exposure. Shreyas is still a budding talent and he needs the right atmosphere for him to focus," Jitendra concludes.
If Shreyas does come back to India, the change in environment will be monumental and to expect a mere 9-year-old to deal with it is a bit harsh. Shreyas has strived hard for what he has achieved and a lot of time is dedicated by him to polish his skills.
Without a doubt, his coming back will be a reason for tremendous merriment for the country and the Indian Federation, but we have to put the boy first.
The decision of the UK Home Office can still swing both ways. No matter how the matter develops, Shreyas should not suffer any hinderance career-wise as he is on a roll. The innocent boy is the one who will suffer most as he is caught up in this battle, so the efforts his parents have been making to keep him away from all the drama has to be credited.
The junior maestro will be an asset wherever he plays and is sure to be a future World Champion, but after one point, one should really do is sit back and admire his chess rather than focus on which country he represents.