"Even when we are not at our best, we can still win silver. That shows how good the team is" — Indian Team Captain Srinath Narayanan

Srinath Narayanan

Indian team captain

“It’s really important to realize that we have won silver rather than missing gold, because it’s unrealistic to win gold every single time. There is no rational reason to have that kind of expectation. There are other teams who are incredibly strong, investing and practicing the same way as us.

Between these teams, it’s roughly 50-50. Uzbekistan is one such team, who have invested heavily, and their players are top professionals, motivated, and the same age group as us.

We didn’t come to this Olympiad in the best of form. Our players were probably at their peak around 2023-24, a period where we had four players in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, won one Grand Swiss, and had three of those players in the Candidates. We were clearly playing the best chess during that period.

Considering we were not in the best of our forms and still won silver shows how much depth and skill we have that at our best, we are going to win gold, by a big margin. But even when we are not at our best, we can still win silver. That shows how good the team is.”