However, India won three board medals in the championship. Besides the second-board gold by Soundarya, Kishan Gangolli and Swapanil Shah secured silver medal on the third and fifth board respectively.

Staying unbeaten in the nine games he played, Soundarya won five and drew four to finish with seven points. The Odisha youth gained 98.4 Elo rating points in process after starting his campaign at 1782.

The championship, featuring top 16 countries, started with round-robin league in two groups of eight teams each. India finished third in its group and had to play for the fifth to eighth positions (semifinals) in the knock-out stage.

Putting up impressive performance in the semifinals, India beat Romania, but drew with Hungary in the final to claim the sixth position eventually. Born in Satibhata village, near Padampur in Bargarh district, Soundarya is now living with his lecturer father Rabi Ranjan Pradhan at Boden in Nuapada district. His elder brother Prachurya Pradhan is also an international blind chess player.
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TOP: Soundarya Pradhan with his gold medal in Ohrid, North Macedonia on 7 July 2022.
RIGHT: Soundarya Pradhan with other two Indian medal winners in Ohrid, North Macedonia on 7 July 2022.