TNCA FELICITATES ANAND

A COMBI DAY OF PRESS CONFERENCE, THE SPORTSTAR SPORTPERSON OF THE MILLENNIUM AWARD, ANOTHER CROWNING IN GOLD, A STREET PROCESSION ... ALL MAKING ANAND'S TRIUMPH A FESTIVAL AMONG CHESS PLAYERS

By Arvind Aaron in Chennai

The felicitation started at 1630 IST on New Year's day with the TNCA mobilising a large gathering to cheer and walk with the horse ridden chariot of the new world champion. Customs Colony, Second Street was filled by people, most of them chess players blocking street traffic. Cars of all types, a royal carriage driven by four horses, two wheelers and a bus just in case you get tired set off after being flagged off at 1645 by FIDE Vice President Mr. P.T.Ummer Koya and Mr. J.C.D.Prabhakaran, Vice President of the TNCA.

Viswanathan Anand sets off royally in a horse ridden carriage as his supporters cheer his victory.
 

The placards which his fans in hundreds carried said, "Vishy Anand The Greatest", "Man Who Conquered The World", "First Asian To Win The World Title" etc. It was chess players and chess lovers. None of them were pooled like one company did at the airport when he arrived on Dec 29. The band of the St. John School opposite to his home which has been a hindrance in the past to my interviewing the star in 1995 was making all the deafening sound as fire crackers were ignited. One may assume horses to be scared of firecrackers but they seem to be trained for this exercise. The procession moved northwards and entered the Pilliar temple were Anand went for a brief prayer/blessing.

Mr. P.T.Ummer Koya (suit) and Mr. J.C.Prabhakaran (white shirt) jointly shook the Indian flag to start the victory march.
 

Then on it moved slowly westward into Shastrinagar 1st avenue, Lattice Bridge Road (Muthulakshmi Road), and into the east side of Sardar Patel road towards Adyar bridge, Sathya Studio and into Greenways Road and on to M.R.C.Nagar. Just like the way it all started with a firecracker at the starting point, it ended with a firecracker display at the entrance of Image Auditorium.

Anand waved his hands all along and was sometimes sitting, but mostly standing in the chariot. People from all walks of life waved and cheered the new world champion. It did slow down the traffic on peak hour for it was not a Government holiday. This slowdown the Chennai citizens loved, even celebrated. Most of them wished Anand "Happy New Year". You could see people gleaning from the oncoming public bus to get a glimpse and wish him. All along there was police protection and in one stretch of road the procession was allowed to go in a no entry. This writer was on a car behind Anand's carriage. Hundreds of children were walking most of the while. You could see the wife and children of Mr. P.T.Ummer Koya walking along. So also, Mr. Sundarraman, the retired General Manager of Madras Telephones. Mr. Koya was on a fancy car. Mr. Viswanathan (Anand's father) walked and got into the car of Mr. Ramaswamy (father of Aarthie Ramaswamy). It was a 4 km stretch which they did in about one hour and 45 minutes. The weather was cool and even permitting.
 

An exclusive aerial shot as Vishy Anand was wading through the crowd towards the chariot.

Arriving at the Image Auditorium half an hour behind schedule, Anand needed the dressing room to change his attire and freshen up for the most important evening of the new Millennium in the real sense. After all the speakers were invited to there dais it was clear who would occupy the last two chairs. Dressed in a traditional north Indian dress, Anand and Aruna in her south Indian bright colour saree arrived to a massive cheering.

The speakers did not miss anything and it could not have been a better felicitation for Anand. About 750 people attended the function and the one thousand capacity hall looked occupied. In his welcome address, Mr. J.C.D.Prabhakaran, the Vice President of the TNCA said Anand's life as a chess player revolved around victory from the time he was 12 at a Under-20 tournament at Salem in Tamil Nadu. He was not fascinated by money, fame which came with it. Mr. Prabhakaran asked the Tamil Nadu Government in Chennai for land for Anand to start his chess academy, the Central Government in New Delhi for diplomatic status of travel and issue a stamp as was common in the Soviet times with its champions. Once the welcome address was over, the garlanding session began and all in the dais were garlanded and greeted.

Industrialist Dr N.Mahalingam, President of the TNCA, a former President of the AICF said Chess has been growing after Anand came on the scene and became a grandmaster. He concluded by praying that Anand will have a long stay as world champion.

"Anand was a role model sportsman and this achievement will go a long way in India and in Asia," said Mr. P.T.Ummer Koya, Secretary of the AICF and Vice President of FIDE. He quoted an incident of a Bangladesh GM Niaz Murshed saying that he (Anand) will make it big because he does not go to night clubs. Mr. Koya asked companies like Ramco to sponsor Category 20-21 tournament in Chennai and this was the moment for it. He said he on behalf of the AICF would support such a cause and would try and get the Govt. involved in the venture.

Mr. N.Murali, the Joint Managing Director of The Hindu said it was a 'one man revolution' that Anand undertook to promote chess in India through his success. Thanks to him chess these days is not only informed but also in-depth. He said it was a special memorable day and I am privileged to be involved in such a function to honor the greatest sporting achievement of India. "He may be NIIT's brand Ambassador but he is made-in-Chennai stamp on him and it was a proud feeling,"  noted Mr. Murali, who is a fellow Chennaiite.

Mr. Venketrama Raja, Vice Chairman of Ramco Systems singled out Anand's memory and gave an anecdote involving a memory test that Mr. Frederic Friedel of Chess Base gave to Anand in 1996. He said with the blessing of God and hard work Anand has achieved the ultimate in chess.
 

Mr. Justice N.K.Jain crowned Vishy Anand like the emperor. Queen Aruna Anand is at right and Mr. J.C.D.Prabhakaran is at left.

In his address, the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Mr. N.K.Jain asked people to take to sport seriously and try to emulate champions like Anand. Despite poor throat, the Justice went on showering praises on Anand and his world champion status.

Mr. N.Murali, Joint Managing Director of The Hindu presented The Sportstar Sportperson Of The Millennium Award carrying a citation and Rs.2 lakhs to Anand. This award is above all awards given by The Sportstar. Earlier, Anand was the Sportperson Of The Year 1995 awarded The Sportstar and now this award has raised the bench mark in individual sporting excellence.

In his reply, Anand said that he enjoyed the beautiful ride on a horse. He thanked the Indian community in Teheran for their support. He said his sponsor the NIIT was personally behind him. To his supporters, he said, "Without you this victory will be meaningless." He thanked the TNCA for getting up this function and The Sportstar and The Hindu's coverage of chess in the last 15 years.

On the parade, Anand said it was touching, "I felt like the king of the world." He said The Hindu has done wonders for Chess. About his former sponsor Ramco Systems, he said "I got exactly when I needed it."

IM Manuel Aaron, General Secretary of the TNCA proposed a vote of thanks. He said Anand's intelligence comes from his father's side, his soft and kind character from his mother and his beautiful combinations from his beautiful wife. He thanked The Hindu newspaper group for their broad outlook and magnanimous nature for supporting the TNCA since 1947 when it was formed.

At the press conference after the felicitation, Anand said he is going to enjoy himself and use the free days in the Corus Tournament and do the required preparation for the tournament which starts January 12 in Holland.

About the reception he has got, Anand said bigger the achievement, bigger the reception. He said he was received at the airport after winning the Shenyang World Cup but this one was biggest he received. "It was an unbelievable day," he said about January 1, 2001.

About the new time format which FIDE has approved, he possibly ridiculed it by referring it as a three day test match in cricket terms. A test cricket match is played over five days.

Anand said by experience he found that if you are successful the press is going to town with the news. He did not believe that the Govt. should be expected to do more but asked the chess fraternity to use the size of the coverage to get private sponsors. He said the new way to organise big events in India is to first graduate with the rapid tournaments which which will catch the public attention.