Indian chess prodigy Shreyas granted right to stay in UK
Shreyas Royal, a 9-year-old chess prodigy, and his family were sent a letter by the United Kingdom Home Ministry, asking them to leave the country by September 10. However, it has now been reported that his family has been granted permission to stay on, and his father can apply for a 5-year work visa without having to leave the country. Here're more details.
The reason why Royal's family was asked to leave
His father, Jitendra Singh, had been asked to leave unless he started earning more than £120,000 per year. Singh, an IT manager, who works for TCS, had said that earning such an amount was impossible for him. However, now he has been given the permission to keep residing in the UK, owing to 'exceptional circumstances' of his son's talent.
Shreyas Royal's extraordinary achievements
For a boy of 9, Shreyas has an incredible FIDE rating of 1,966. He is currently the world's youngest Candidate's Master and the 4th best player in the world in his age group. He was also given the rare honor of making the first move in a match featuring champion Magnus Carlsen, an honor usually reserved for world leaders or other senior officials.
Shreyas got support from chess officials and British MPs
Battersea Chess Club secretary Leon Watson, who had supported Shreyas Royal said, "Shreyas is a very nice, down-to-earth young man who has a big future ahead of him on the world stage hopefully representing England". MP Rachel Reeves, speaking on his behalf, had written to the British Home Secretary to reconsider the decision and allow the prodigy to stay on.
Comments from UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid
UK Home Secretary Javid, who had earlier disallowed the family to stay on despite being aware of the child's talents, has softened his tone. He has now commented, "The UK is a country that fosters world-class talent and Shreyas is one of the most gifted chess players in his generation." He further stated that the UK's immigration system always welcomes highly talented individuals.
