Gukesh Dommaraju is welcomed home upon his arrival at the Chennai International Airport on December 16 after his win at the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore.

The 18-year-old beat defending champion Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in their best-of-14 final in Singapore on Thursday after the Chinese player blundered in the final game.

Draped in the Indian flag and holding his trophy, Gukesh was met by hundreds of fans upon returning to his home city.

“Thank you for all the support. It means a lot to bring back the trophy to India,” he told reporters. “I hope we can have a great time in the next few days celebrating together.”

“You guys are amazing,” he said of his fans. “You gave me so much energy. Looking forward to meeting you all.”

Gukesh’s welcome resembled that of a rock star or famous cricketer, with confetti, banners, crowds singing his name and even men on stilts. The champion arrived and left in a personalized car, decorated with the words: “The new king in the kingdom of chess!”

The 18-year-old landed in Chennai having also completed a bungee jump in Singapore to celebrate his victory.