Ms. Namita Nayyar: At the age of six, you got a chance to beat megastar Aamir Khan to a game of chess. Would you like to share with us your memories of that incredible incident?
Ms. Dhyani Dave: I was nine years old then and already an Asian silver medalist. My dad was posted in Kutch then and the shoot of Lagaan was going on. The art director being a friend of my dad, invited us over. My dad knew that Aamir loves chess, so he carried a chess board along. I remember when we reached there, Aamir was having his lunch and my dad requested him for a game with me afterwards. Aamir said, “Nahi nahi, abhi khel lete hai,” expecting me to be just another kid. But to his surprise, I defeated him in like 20 moves. He was surprised and asked me for a few more games in between his shots. He would make a move, go give his shot and come back and play again. We spent six hours playing together. We played three games and I won them all. Ha ha. Last year, we played again and I won again! But he is a very good player and an amazing person.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Training for professional sports requires a lot of focus and determination. How are you able to strike a balance between your personal and professional life?
Ms. Dhyani Dave: I have been asked this question a lot many times. It actually comes very naturally to me. I am an expert at multi-tasking. After my chess practice, I am like normal people who meet friends, go out with them and have fun. I meet my friends everyday no matter what happens. It’s like a ritual. I am good at time management and hence the balance. I know what to do, when to do and how to do.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Who has been your greatest influence and motivator in your success?
Ms. Dhyani Dave: Undoubtedly, my mother. She is my only source of motivation. Like every sportsman, I too had tough times. But she always made me go the extra mile. Till date, I haven’t played any tournament without her. She accompanies me wherever I go and sits outside the tournament hall until my game gets over. I’ve never had any coaching or sponsors for my tournaments, even though I am the only woman player that Gujarat ever had. But my mom has never let this thing become a hurdle.
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