Grand! Chess master, nine, will stay in UK
A CHESS prodigy aged nine and his family have been allowed to stay in the UK because of his ‘world class talent’.
Shreyas Royal – the No 2 chess player in the world for his age – and his Indian parents had been told they would have to leave when their visa expires next month.
But now Home Secretary Sajid Javid has stepped in. ‘After carefully reviewing the evidence, I have taken the personal decision to allow Shreyas and his family to stay in the UK.
‘The UK is a country that fosters world class talent and Shreyas is one of the most gifted chess players in his generation.’
The boy’s father Jitendra Singh, an IT project manager, spoke of his relief. He said: ‘Yesterday we were packing to leave – we thought we had to go.’ He added: ‘We have been waiting for a very long time, it’s such a relief for us. We are very happy that my son can continue. Shreyas became very happy and jumped on the sofa and started dancing.’
He stressed: ‘Definitely Shreyas will carry on and keep representing the country. When we came here he was only three years old – England is his first country.’ A spokesman for the English Chess Federation said it was ‘delighted’ by the decision. The Home Office said Mr Singh, of Woolwich, south-east London, had been given permission to apply for another fiveyear work visa without leaving the UK due to the ‘exceptional circumstances’ of Shreyas’s talent.
Mr Javid said: ‘We have always been clear we want a world class immigration system that welcomes highly- talented individuals from across the globe.’