The youngest Padma Shri Award winner of India is Anupama Gokhale. She won this prestigious award at the age of sixteen years in the year 1986. She was born on 17th May, 1969, in Mumbai. She is one of the famous chess players in Asia and won the Indian Women’s Championship five times. She is a versatile genius. She is equally good at studies and chess play. She was the former chief manager of Bharat Petroleum Ltd.
She won the multiple international tournaments by her hardship and passion for chess. She was honored with the Arjuna Award in the year 1990. She was declared the Indian chess queen during the years 1985 to 1987.
Anupama Gokhale’s years of achievement
- 1985—Won Asian Women’s championship in chess; earned title of Women International Master (WIM).
- 1986—Honored with the award Padma Shri
- 1987—Won Asian Women’s championship in chess (revealing the strongest player from Asia).
- 1989—Won Indian women’s championship in chess
- 1990—Won Indian women’s championship in chess and honored with Arjuna Award
- 1991—Won Indian women’s championship in chess
- 1993—Won Indian women’s championship in chess
- 1997—Won Indian women’s championship in chess, Maharashtra State Championship, and Limca Open Chess Championship in Hyderabad.
- 2005—Won silver medal in Asian Team Chess championship
She represented India in so many international events and has been nominated as chess coach for the Indian team. She was a member of the PSPB Women’s Chess Team, which won a silver medal for the national team championship at Cochin in the year 2011. She also represented India in Women’s Chess Olympiads held in the years 1988, 1990, and 1992.
Personal Life
The youngest Padma Shri Award winner, Anupama Gokhale, married Raghunandan Gokhale. He was also a notable chess player from India and won the prestigious Dronacharya award. In the year 2002, the couple tied the knot with each other. Raghunandan Gokhale was her coach in chess, and Anupama was his best student.
Anupama Gokhale joined Bharat Petroleum as a sportsperson and was promoted to chief manager. She was the first sportsperson who joined the petroleum sector. She believes mental and physical strength is the key to getting success in chess. She has had a passion for chess since childhood, and she used to play with her father and siblings more often.
FAQ
Who is the youngest Padma Shri Award winner?
Anupama Gokhale is the youngest Padma Shri award winner of India.
What was Anupama Gokhale’s age at the time of receiving the Padma Shri award ?
She was just 16 years old at that time.
In which year did Anupama Gokhale win the Padma Shri?
Anupama Gokhale won the Padma Shri in the year 1986.
What are the other awards she has received other than the Padma Shri?
She has been honored with the Arjuna Award in the year 1990 for excellent contribution to chess.
When was she declared the Asian chess queen?
She was declared chess queen from 1985 to 1987 for her outstanding performance in chess.
Who is her husband?
Her husband name is Raghunandan Gokhale.
