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    Newsmakers of the Week                                                    MAY 01, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 31

                             DHAKSHINESWAR SURESH                               India and the US.”
                                                                                    Emphasising the strategic importance of the visit in terms of the Indo-Pa-
                                                                                cific region, it further stated, “ It is expected to further cement the India-US
            Tennis player gets high praise from  defence ties - a cornerstone of our comprehensive global strategic partnership
                             President Trump                                    - towards ensuring a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
                                                                                    Earlier on Monday (local time), General Upendra Dwivedi, India’s Chief
                                                                                of the Army Staff (COAS), was honoured with a formal Guard of Honour at
                                                                                Fort Shafter, Hawaii, marking a significant milestone in his high-level visit to the
                     ashington, DC:  Madu-                                      United States Army Pacific (USARPAC).
                     rai-born tennis star Dhak-
            Wshineswar Suresh got high                                              The visit underscores the growing strategic alignment between New Delhi
            praise from US President Donald                                     and Washington as both nations look to bolster security architecture across the
                                                                                Indo-Pacific. General Dwivedi engaged in extensive deliberations with General
            Trump during a recent National                                      Ronald P Clark, Commanding General of USARPAC, alongside other senior
            Champions Day at the White House.                                   military leadership.
                The 26-year-old Suresh was
                                                                                    Sharing the details in a post on X, the ADGPI said that COAS Dwive-
            among the 2025 NCAA Collegiate                                      di also held discussions on promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
            National Championship teams that                                    “General Upendra Dwivedi, COAS, was accorded a Guard of Honour at Fort
            had gathered at the White House for                                 Shafter, Hawaii, during his ongoing visit to United States Army Pacific. He held
            the event on Wednesday.                                             discussions with General Ronald P. Clark Commanding General @USARPAC,
                “DK Suresh delivered the clinching point to UCLA 4-2 victory over TCU
            in the final. And I want to congratulate you,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Who is the   and other senior leaders, focusing on strengthening India-US Defence Cooper-
                                                                                ation and advancing a shared vision for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific”,
            best player in the team?’ and they all pointed to him. Congratulations and   the ADGPI said.
            that’s really incredible, DK, what you have done. You had a great year. You all
            had a great year. Thank you very much,” the US President said.                             PAYAL KAPADIA
                At the White House ceremony, Trump honoured the 2025 NCAA cham-
            pionship teams. Student-athletes in attendance included those from Okla-  Director to serve as jury president
            homa State men’s golf, Texas A&M women’s volleyball, Wake Forest men’s
            tennis, University of Georgia women’s tennis, Youngstown State’s women’s   at 65th Cannes Critics’ Week
            bowling, Florida State’s women’s soccer, and West Virginia University’s coed
            rifle team of men and women.                                              os Angeles, CA:  Filmmak-
                The player from Tamil Nadu, Suresh, who moved to the US, is part of the
                                                                                      er Payal Kapadia, known for
            Wake Forest University tennis team. He moved to the US to play collegiate   L‘All We Imagine as Light’, will
            tennis on the advice of former Indian player Somdev Devvarman. He utilized   serve as the president of the jury for
            a scholarship to join the US college system, starting at an NAIA school in   the 65th Cannes Critics’ Week, re-
            Georgia before transferring to Wake Forest University for NCAA Division 1   ported The Hollywood Reporter.
            tennis. He is set to graduate in May 2026.                              Kapadia will be joined on the jury
                In his praise for the 26-year-old, Trump said, “In the winner’s circle, we
            have the 2025 NCAA Men’s Tennis Champions, the Wake Forest Demon    by Canadian actor Theodore Peller-
                                                                                in, French singer-songwriter Oklou,
            Deacons....But they battled through the fierce postseason to claim their sec-  Ghanaian-British producer Ama Ampadu, and journalist and Bangkok World
            ond national title. DK Suresh delivered the clinching point to seal a 4-2 victory   Film Festival director Donsaron Kovitvanitcha.
            over TCU in the final. And I want to congratulate you.” The Wake Forest   Payal Kapadia has, over the course of six short and feature-length films,
            University team won the NCAA men’s tennis championships by beating the   “crafted a body of work where poetry contrasts with her unflinching political
            TCU Horned Frogs 4-2 in the final.
                                                                                take on her country,” said the Critics’ Week in a statement.
                                                                                    “This duality underpins the power of her cinema, a universe that sum-
                              GEN UPENDRA DWIVEDI                               mons all forms to convey folk myths, and bring to the fore invisible lives, class

               Amb Kwatra hosts Indian Army                                     struggle, and the realities of women’s lives,” it added.
                                                                                    It is worth mentioning that Payal Kapadia’s short films ‘Afternoon Clouds’
                         Chief during US visit                                  and ‘And What is the Summer Saying’ were selected at the Cinefondation and
                                                                                the Berlinale, before her debut feature documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Noth-
                                                                                ing’ went to Cannes in 2021. It also won the L’Oeil d’Or for Best Documentary.
                     ashington,  DC:  Indian                                        Her second feature, ‘All We Imagine as Light’, emerged as a standout at the
                     ambassador to the United                                   2024 Cannes festival.
             WStates, Vinay Mohan Kwa-                                              Speaking on embracing the jury role, Kapadia shared, “My own journey as
            tra, on Tuesday (local time) hosted the                             a filmmaker was supported early on because of film festival selections. Through
            Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General                                  these, I had the opportunity to meet others like myself from across the world,
            Upendra  Dwivedi  at  India  House,                                 which helped me build a community of future collaborators.”
            ahead of the Army chief’s upcom-                                        She further added, “At a time where independent cinema is being eroded in
            ing engagements in Washington DC.                                   every country, supporting the first works of filmmakers is almost a resistance to
                In a post on X, the Indian Em-                                  the market forces. Film criticism is one of the key components of the indepen-
            bassy in the United States said, “Am-                               dent and art-house film ecosystem. The first films are often freer, more daring
            bassador hosted COAS General Up-                                    and fearless, having an individual voice and to champion those is absolutely
            endra Dwivedi, at India House today,                                essential. First films are also fragile and to be nurtured in a section like Critics’
            ahead of his upcoming engagements in Washington DC.”                Week, helps them blossom amongst already established filmmaker’s work,” as
                The visit, according to the embassy, “continues the high-level mili-  quoted by Variety. Critics’ Week will be held in Cannes from May 13 to 21, 2026.
            tary-to-military exchanges between India and the US.”
                Highlighting the broader context of the India-US defence cooperation, the   To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
            embassy said, “The visit, which is taking place soon after the recent visits by       our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
            CNS and CAS, continues the high-level military-to-military exchanges between

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