Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa will be the face of the inaugural SOG Grandmasters Series’ South one Zonal Finals, an initiative of the Skillhub Online Games Federation (SOGF). The tournament is scheduled for 18 and 19 December at the Sheraton Grand in Whitefield, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Uthappa is known for his sportsmanship, in-depth TV commentary and is also a strong advocate for mental health. “Mind sports are truly unique in how they celebrate cognitive skills. The SOG Grandmasters Series is a remarkable platform that highlights the power of strategy, focus, and mental resilience—qualities I deeply value both as a cricketer and as an advocate for mental well-being. This series not only showcases exceptional talent across India, but also nurtures the competitive spirit and creates new opportunities to unearth and spotlight talent in the mind sports arena. I’m excited to be part of this initiative and am eager to witness the next generation of champions rise from such an initiative,” said Uthappa.
Speaking about the event, SOGF president Shankar Aggarwal shared, “Having Uthappa, a World Cup-winning cricketer known for his resilience and mental strength, represent the SOG Grandmasters South Regional Finals is a powerful way to inspire the next generation of mind sports athletes. His presence bridges traditional sports and skill-based online games, helping to popularize these disciplines and encourage more players to step forward. The overwhelming response to the Grandmasters Series reflects India’s growing passion for skill-based sports, and we are committed to creating an inclusive platform that nurtures this talent and propels it onto the global stage.”
The inaugural SOG Grandmasters Series registrations indicated significant interest across all categories as claimed. Over 55,000 players signed up for free online pre-qualifiers of Indian Rummy Grandmasters (IRG) and Indian Chess Masters (ICM), highlighting their increasing popularity as cognitive skill-based mind sports.
The top 125 from the total registered players, who played the Online Qualifiers for IRG and ICM will travel to Bangalore for the zonal finals. In addition, the Chess for the Blind event, organised by the All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB) served as pre-qualifiers to the Indian Chess Masters for the Blind (ICMB), from which 16 top players have been shortlisted for the South Zonal Finals.
The South one Zonal Finals will be a LAN event with “phygital” experience, blending both physical and digital formats. The Bengaluru event will be followed by zonal finals in other zones, with the finalists–two from chess for men, two from chess for women, two from chess for the blind, and six from Online Rummy in each zone – competing in the nationals in April 2025 in New Delhi.
