No handshake! General manager of Uzbekistan national team shocks Indian player Harikai with ‘Namaste’ – Watch

Nodirbek Yakubboev gives the ‘Namaste’ gesture to India’s Harika Dronavali (Photo: ChessBase India)

NEW DELHI: A lighthearted and heartwarming moment at the Glencoe Freestyle Open went viral when grandmaster (general manager) Harika Dronavali reached out to resign, but Uzbek general manager Nodirbek Yakubboev responded with a polite “Namaste”. It was a memorable and respectful exchange as both players walked away smiling.watch:The event itself is heating up in Karlsruhe, with Vincent Keymer and Hans Niemann leading the way with perfect scores of 5/5. They will face off in a crucial match next. Followed by a strong group including world no. Magnus Carlsenkeeping the competition fierce.Interestingly, Daniel Hausrath is ranked lower globally but surprisingly holds his own among the top players. With thousands of participants and a generous prize pool, the tournament is one of the largest in the world, and the upcoming rounds are expected to shake up the leaderboards.This is not the first time Yakuboyev has avoided shaking hands. Earlier, he had done the same thing during a match against R Vaishali in the Wijk Aan Zee Challenger Division last year, which led to confusion. Later, he saw her again with flowers and chocolates and apologized.“I’m sorry for what happened? It was an embarrassing situation for both of us. I was in a hurry that day. There seemed to be some misunderstanding. I want to wish you both good luck in the rest of the tournament. Just wanted to say. I respect you and your brother. You both, and all Indian chess players,” Yakuboyev said.Vaishali replied kindly, “No, that’s obviously understandable. I didn’t think of it that way, so we don’t need to feel bad. You did apologize. No problem at all. You don’t have to worry about this. “Yakuboyev later explained that this was due to “religious reasons,” adding, “I would like to explain the situation… For religious reasons, I will not touch other women.” Stressing respect, he said, “I respect Vaishali and her brothers, who are the strongest chess players in India. I apologize if my behavior offended her,” and clarified, “I did what I needed to do…whatever I do is their business.”