They were the early hope, but the Indian shooters have failed so far to bring home the yellow metal from the 15th Asian Games here. It was left to Grandmaster Koneru Humpy to give the first gold at these Games, from the board game, introduced for the first time here. In the Swiss rapid meet, she earned 8 points from the nine rounds played to emerge comfortable champion at the Al-Dana chess hall.

Then, amid flashbulbs and kudos, she said she “should have been expected to win, because I was top seed.” She was also the only men’s Grandmaster in the field. It was a modest celebration in the mixed zone, a muted set of questions that would have come in torrents had it been a tennis player. This evening, India’s gloom in the cricketing and tennis failures was swept aside somewhat.

The 19-year-old finished with a win over Dana Aketayeva of Kazakhstan. China’s Zhao Xue, a half-point adrift, was second.

In between the interviews, her father and coach Koneru Ashok rang up to congratulate. “I wish he was here now to see this,” said Humpy, beaming ear-to-ear. “He has been my first coach and always the main inspiration.” Her mother Lata was a step behind the media gathering, wearing a quiet smile, sure now how happiness feels. “I have won the Asian title before,” said Humpy, “but this, winning a medal for your country, this is different. I feel really proud. Rapid isn’t my favourite format,” said the player who idolises Hungary’s Judit Polgar, “and that makes it feel better.” Her aim now is the world women’s championship, but her bigger aim is “to play in men’s events only, like Judit.” On way to gold, Koneru won eight and lost one. Qatar’s Zhu Chen, with 6 points, won bronze.

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