Rameshbabu’s phone has not stopped ringing since Sunday evening. As the news came in that India have done a golden double in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Rameshbabu became a busy man.

Why? Because his son Praggnanandhaa and daughter Vaishali are important members of the men’s and women’s teams respectively and it’s a rare occasion in chess when two siblings are the gold medal winners in the Chess Olympiad.

“It’s a big day for us. I am receiving so many congratulatory messages from well-wishers. My phone is buzzing continuously,” Rameshbabu told The Telegraph from Chennai on Sunday. As always, mother Nagalakshmi has travelled with her son and daughter.

Last year, when Praggu — as he is known in the chess fraternity — was creating a flutter in the Chess World Cup in Baku, one of the endearing photographs was that of the mother in sheer pride and happiness watching her son speaking to the media. Rameshbabu and Nagalakshmi have played a massive role in shaping the careers of the game’s first brother and sister pair of Grandmasters.

“More than the siblings’ success what delights me most is that India, for the first time, have won both events. It’s a first. We are making the world sit up and take notice,” Rameshbabu said.

Rameshbabu spoke to Praggu and Vaishali on Saturday night. That was after the Indian men all but sealed the top spot with a commanding win over the top-seeded United States and the women saw off China in the penultimate rounds.

“I just told them to keep focused.”

Praggu had lost to Wesley So, which allowed the US to draw level after Dommaraju Gukesh, ranked seventh in the world, stunned No. 3-ranked Fabiano Caruana in the first game. In fact, out of a total of 44 games the Indians played, that was the only setback. But on Sunday, Praggu, the World No. 12, crushed Anton Demchenko of Slovenia.

Vaishali also did not lose ground in the last two rounds. In the penultimate round, she managed to wriggle out of a difficult situation against her Chinese opponent. On Sunday too she drew with her opponent from Azerbaijan.

“They know how to do their job,” the father said.

True. Praggu, 19, and Vaishali, four years older, have added two more medals to the already-bulging trophy cabinet and promise many more in future.