Norwegian chess wizard Magnus Carlsen, who is here to challenge world champion Viswanathan Anand of India in the FIDE World Chess Championship starting tomorrow, is feeling very much at home in the city.
Carlsen has been spending most of his time relaxing by the poolside at Vivanta by Taj – Fishermen`s Cove, a hotel on the scenic East Coast Road, except for his occasional games of volleyball, tennis and badminton in the last two days.
Ever since his arrival at the hotel on Monday, where he was welcomed with a garland made of shells, the 22-year-old Norwegian was curious about every Indian tradition he came across, according to the hotel staff.
Staying in a comfortable sea facing cottage, the young chess wizard is believed to have been making his strategies for the upcoming contest with his Indian competitor.
Though he brought a cook with him, the young player did check out on some cuisine at the Mediterranean specialty restaurant – Upper Deck – at the hotel.
He had relished spaghetti aglio oligio with bacon, whole wheat croissants and the cheese omelette with green chillies, while indulging in fresh mango juice through his stay.
Carlsen checked out of the hotel today before heading to the city, as the inauguration of the World Chess Championship is scheduled tomorrow.
FIDE World Chess Championship Match (FWCM) between title holder Anand and Carlsen will be inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at the Nehru Indoor Stadium here at 4 pm.
PTI
source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Z News / Home> Sports> Others / by PTI / Wednesday – November 06th, 2013
Viswanathan Anand winning the World Junior Chess Championship and subsequently earning the GM title is an important landmark not just for Anand but for Indian chess too as it set up a chess revolution in India. AP file photo
Great sportsmen have a unique way of achieving milestones with an effortless ease which others from the same breed shudder to think of. What sets them apart is the fact that they are ambitious, think ahead of the times and venture into areas that none from their ilk could ever dream of.
Viswanathan Anand winning the World Junior Chess Championship and subsequently earning the GM title is an important landmark not just for Anand but for Indian chess too as it set up a chess revolution in India. Anand’s feat was similar to legendary Lala Amarnath’s achievement of scoring India’s first Test century.
“Anand winning the world junior crown was a remarkable feat. Being the first one to do so was all the more special,” said Manuel Aaron. Years of practice, dedication, sacrifice, travel helped Anand achieve something that was beyond the reach of youngsters at that time.
Although India had an IM in Manuel Aaron and several talented players, none could get near the GM norm. “There were quite a few talented players then like TS Ravi and others. Apart from his talent, what helped Anand was opportunities. Anand played many tournaments both within and outside Tamil Nadu. This exposure made him refine his game and his ability to learn (read from books) set him apart. The other players, however talented, could not go up the ladder due to paucity of exposure,” explained Aaron.
It is interesting to note that Anand in his World Junior match in 1987 defeated Simen Agdestein, who later became Magnus Carlsen’s first coach. Anand scored 9/13 to win the title and defeat Agdestein, the top seed in a crucial match in the middle of the tournament. Simen’s brother Espen Agdestein is now the manager of Carlsen. After that Anand won the Sakthi Finance International Grandmasters tournament and bagged the GM title.
GM RB Ramesh hails Anand’s feat of winning the GM title first and reckons it was an important landmark in Indian chess. “At that time we had only one IM in Manuel Aaron. No one could dream of becoming a GM and it looked like none would get there, for one needed money to go and play abroad. You have to play against and beat foreign players. Taking the cost in mind at that time, one thought becoming a GM was out of bounds,” said Ramesh.
“It is here that Anand like a torchbearer showed us the path and gave us the self belief that we (Indians) too could become GMs. His winning the World Junior title was special and the GM title later was like icing on the cake. It is because of Anand we have 34 GMs in India today. Hats off to Anand,” complimented Ramesh.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport / by Ashok Venugopal / ENS – Chennai / October 24th, 2013
The next few weeks are testing times for chess wizard Viswanathan Anand. For, he is busy getting himself ready – both mentally and physically – for his World Championship match against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen next month in Chennai.
In between all the hype around the match, Vishy, as he is called, made it a point to spend time with his family for Navaratri, a festival he loves. He gets talking to us on his upcoming match, inspirations and more.
(Viswanathan Anand is busy…)
How are you preparing yourself for the big clash against Carlsen?
It’s been months of preparation – both in terms of chess, and physical work. Now, it’s the last mile. So, I’m just taking it easy and getting ready for the match.
You were in Chennai recently for Golu celebrations. How did you spend your time?
I enjoyed seeing Akhil (son) in his Indian attire at the golus. Navarathri is a beautiful time to be in Chennai. The daily visits, guests, healthy sundals and music… it’s all so beautiful. Importantly, Navaratri is a family effort – arranging the dolls and planning the scenic backdrops that go into it. This year has been hectic due to visits to other golus, but it was mainly about Akhil.
You must miss Aruna and Akhil a lot when you’re away touring. How does Akhil react when you talk to him over the phone and when you’re back home, how do you bond with him?
We like playing together; there are lots pillow fights at home! He has this book – Happy Hippo Angry Duck – that we love reading together. The trick is to pretend that we are reading it for the first time every time. His favourite pastime now is counting; so, we count anything these days. And, of course, there’s Tom and Jerry; while he cheers for Jerry, I support Tom. I love it when he wakes me up in the morning with my brush and says, “Brush teeth.”
In your career, how have you handled pressure, during and before a match? What are some things you do to ensure that it doesn’t get to you?
It’s very difficult to keep a checklist because always, the one thing you don’t want to think about will pop right into the head. I try to keep a cool face and for the rest, just rely on my game.
How friendly are you with Carlsen?
We are cordial with each other.
In a previous interview, you mentioned that you rarely get time to watch movies, and that you last watched Rajinikanth’s Sivaji…
Well, I watched Kahaani and liked it a lot. I hope to watch The Lunchbox soon. But I have been watching classic Rajini films like Billa, etc…
Finally, would you consider this as the most important match of your career, and why?
Each match I play is the most important one yet.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> More Sports / by Srinivasa Ramanujam , TNN / October 19th, 2013
District livestock farm in Hosur where the cricket ground was developed by Lt Col T. Murari. —DC
Krishnagiri:
Hosur is known for its salubrious climate and rapid industrial growth; but how many of us know that cricket in the southern part of India started from the cattle farm here, asked B. Venkatasami, 80, elaborating on the history of cricket in Hosur, 55 km from Krishnagiri on the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway.
Venkatasami, former MLA of the Swatantra Party of Rajagopalachari – the first Indian to become governor general of India – added that “Cricket was first introduced here by Lt Col T. Murari following his appointment as superintendent of the livestock research centre formed in Hosur as army remount centre.”
The octogenarian continued, “Murari, prior to his appointment at the Hosur cattle farm, served in the Second World War under king’s commission and later rose to the rank of a major.”
He has several firsts to his credit like the first Indian to become officer for the veterinary department and the first Indian to become member of the Marylebone Cricket Club and Madras cricket club during British rule.
Venkatasami recalled the history as narrated to him by his father late M. Beere Gowda. “The lieutenant colonel, while studying veterinary science in Oxford University, was approached by Hilson, director of agriculture department, asking him to join the department as officer.”
Following his consent, the British appointed Murari as superintendent of the livestock research station in Hosur, the first Indian to become officer of the veterinary department following the formation of Madras Veterinary College.
Murari, while in Hosur, formed a cricket team by training people who did menial jobs in the cattle farm. The team regularly played matches against teams in Bengaluru and Mysore.
He was also the first Indian to become member of the prestigious United Services Club in Bengaluru and was a founder-member of the Karnataka state cricket association, formerly known as Mysore cricket association.
Venkatasami was concerned about the status of the historical cricket ground formed by Murari. “A ground with a small visitors gallery to watch the game was there for some time after Independence, but the historical monument was removed for development works,” he rued.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by Sanjeevi Anandan / October 21st, 2013
BONN, GERMANY – OCTOBER 17: Indian chess world champion Viswanathan Anand concentrates during his match against the Russian chess grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik on October 17, 2008 in Bonn, Germany. (Photo by Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)
Even as one great man’s epic is about to draw to a weary ending, another man is preparing vigorously to sheath his story with one more epochal battle. Somewhere inside an elegantly dressed home in Chennai, Viswanathan Anand might be laughing in irony at the brouhaha that surrounds the departure of Sachin Tendulkar . The self-effacing genius enjoys living in the shade, long used to the skewed ways of the large masses of this nation.
As ironic as it might be, the World Championship of Chess, being held in India for only the second time ever is faced with the daunting task of competing with the farewell party of India’s foremost sporting icon. Not that Anand will be too fazed.
The modest man from Chennai has built a monumental career around his ability to navigate expertly around a complex maze of 64 squares. Matters of perception and market dynamics have rarely, if at all, bothered him or affected his love and hunger for mastering his craft.
Chess struggles for attention as it is and the hyperbole around the little maestro’s departure is only going to make matters worse. Anand might even afford a rueful smile in a private conversation with his confidant and spouse.
But under the glare of lights, he can be expected to deal with it in the most dignified manner possible. Their careers have run almost parallel and both men have shown exemplary character to enjoy an almost blemish-free run under intense public glare.
The similarities end right there though. An insanely cricket mad India cheered every run from the blade of the great cricketer. However, Anand had to satisfy himself with only fleeting acknowledgement every time he won a World Championship.
Breaking new ground is a refined habit with both these gentlemen. Sachin has collected more centuries and runs than was ever imagined possible. Anand, the country’s first chess grandmaster, usurped power from the customary champions of the Soviet bloc.
Sachin has been first among equals because his zeal for accumulation was unmatched. Anand was the first man from a famished third world country to usher in a new era, by winning the FIDE World Championships in 2000.
It was a victory that broadened the appeal of chess in Asia and expanded its market beyond the conventional hunting grounds around Europe. In a country abundant with patience even under duress, the success of chess isn’t entirely an anomaly. But it took the genius of Anand to pave the path for others to follow.
Thousands of other players have paraded their talent, but not one player has come close to emulating the greatest chess player India has ever known. He has been feted by the government – the Rajiv Khel Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan sit proudly in his overflowing cabinet of honours.
Ironically though, the unparalleled success of Anand is still not enough to excite nearly as much attention as anything to do with cricket might. Sample this – in 2010, a bevy of leading sportspersons donated their prized possessions to The Foundation, a charity run by actor Rahul Bose. A bat with which Sachin scored an obscure one-day international century in New Zealand fetched a whopping 42 lakhs. Even the racket with which Leander Paes won the 2010 Wimbledon mixed doubles title managed to get a bid for 7 lakh. In stark contrast, the 2008 World Championship medal of Anand managed a number that wasn’t worth a mention in the media around the time.
Anand has learnt well enough that his is a pursuit in solitude, only occasionally acknowledged even by his ardent fans. As polite and polished as Anand might be to his fans, he is a chess player driven by the quest for a place in the history of the game. It is this focus on his goals that lead Anand and his wife Aruna to find home in Spain.
The relocation helped Anand avoid even the limited attention in India and allowed him to pursue his ambition without the distractions that surrounded his time in India. The reigning champion has since moved back to India and was all set to celebrate a grand event of unmatched scale on his home soil. As fate would have it, Sachin’s plans intervened with the harvest plans of chess.
Anand is the only chess player to have won the World Chess Championships in all three formats – knock-out (2000), tournament (2007) and classical (2008 – current). While people close to the game of chess might rue the likely travesty in November, Vishy may be secretly enjoying the fact that all the attention will be on Sachin.
Even at his tender age of 22, Magnus Carlsen is a once in a generation talent in the opinion of experts as well as his opponents. Anand will need his sharpest skills to overcome the challenge from the charismatic Norwegian, who is nearly half the champion’s age. It might help ease the pressure on Anand just a tad that the event itself might escape the intense glare of the media.
Anand may have sincerely hoped for a big boost for the game of chess in India, riding on the back of an exuberant campaign ahead of the World Championships. But considering the enormity of the occasion, the world No. 7 will be happy to hunt his young opponent down in a quiet room inside the Hyatt Regency in Chennai between the 9th and 28th of November.
source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Home> Chess – World Chess Championship 2013 / by Anand Datla, Tennis Expert (Featured Writer) / October 21st, 2013
For the first time, two students from the district would be taking part in the national-level carom championship in the sub-junior and junior categories.
R Devadarshan, a class VI student of Vallal Krishnaswamy Mudaliar School, emerged winner in the sub-junior level while Sneha Prabha, a Class VIII student of the Sri Narayani Vidyalaya came first in the junior category at the state-level carom competition, organised by the Tamil Nadu State Carom Association, in Dindigul this week. The event is recognised by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority.
Both students met Collector Sankar on Saturday and sought his blessings to win medals in the national championship that is likely to be held either in Assam or Goa later this year.
Devadarshan said he was able to complete the board in 20 minutes flat in the finals, thanks to his eight-hour practice sessions at home. The winner said he was motivated by his father Raviraj, presently the joint secretary of the district carom association, who himself was a player in his times.
Dr Rajagopal, District Carom Association president, said more youngsters had been attracted to playing carom in the past four years. The association, started around 30 years ago, faced certain setbacks for a while but it was revived recently. “We are planning to train more school and college students,” he said.
He stressed the need for an indoor stadium for the district, which would help youngsters practise caroms in a more professional manner as currently they were practising at a cramped privatly-owned place. “The district administration should help in getting an indoor stadium, not only for carom but also for other indoor games,” Rajagopal said.
“Now that carom has been recognised in the Olympics, I see a good future for our kids to excel in this game and if we promote it in the right manner, we can be among the medals winner in Olympics,” he said, adding that he believed the game helps one improve memory and concentration and that students who practised carom were found to be doing good in the studies as well.
E M Asif, one of the coaches who has been training school kids for the past eight years, said around 500 students have shown interest in the game in the past two years. ‘Around one hundred of them have been groomed to be good players,’ he said. While around 10 of them have won district and state level competitions, this is the first time two of our students make it to the national level, he said with pride.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> TamilNadu / by V. NarayanaMurthi / ENS – Vellore / October 20th, 2013
Erode’s Karthick Maruthi and co-driver Shankar Anand won the Express Inn Rally of Nashik, the first round of FMSCI Indian National TSD Rally championship here Sunday.
The winning combination received a penalty of 54 seconds while Babno Machian and Rajanna Natrajan finished behind the Erode pair, some 56 seconds adrift while the experienced Girijashankar Joshy and Shrikant Gowda were third with 2:03.
Last year’s championship winners Satish Gopalkrishnan and Savera D’Souza, the husband-wife duo from Bangalore, were among 10 pairs who were excluded for finishing the rally outside the maximum permitted lateness.
There were no finishers in the Stock pro category while Paritosh Kohok and Nitin Nagar bagged the title in the two-wheeler section with a penalty of 37:27.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Sports / by IANS / Nashik – September 29th, 2013
Alisha Abdullah is still smarting from the disappointment she suffered in the National Rotax Max Karting Championship held in Hyderabad last year. She finished number seven in a track filled with male racers.
“All the guys on the track overtook me last time. I am very egoistic and determined to win it this time around and get my own back. I have a professional racing team backing me as well,” affirms the 23-year-old speed junkie who is touted to be India’s first ever woman superbike racer with records in car, kart and bike racing. She will be competing for the title in the city this weekend.
Alisha is presently honing her skills on the Rotax Max go karts, considered to be one of the fastest go-karts in the world. These 30 bph-powered, 125 cc two stroke engines hit speeds in excess of 100 km per hour.
“In every lap, the drivers need to hit 120 km/ph consistently. If you drop the speed even a little, you’ll see 8-10 competitors zoom past you in a matter of seconds,” says Alisha adding, “To be zipping past at such high speeds a couple of feet above the ground is a pretty exhilarating experience.
If you hit the curve, you break your ribs for sure!” This diminutive racer began go-karting from the time she was eight years old and was winning races from when she was 11.
She won the national go-karting championship at 13 and claimed the best Novice Award in the open class of Formula car racing as well. Her tryst with bikes began when she was 15. Her dad RA Abdullah, a former national bike champion, has been instrumental in initiating her into the fast lane.
“My dad gifted me a 600 cc superbike on my 18th birthday and told me you are going to race. As excited as I was, it was huge 240 kg machine and I was like, ‘Are you are kidding me?’ He wasn’t.
My dad took me to Singapore and got me my first racing suit and taught me all the skills. I struggled initially, but soon I got better and began winning,” recalls the Chennai girl, who switched to racing cars three years ago.
However, Alisha still trains with her bike “even if it is just to show off” her custom made racing suit. Alisha will get on to her superbike to take part in an unprecedented all-woman superbike race to be held in Spain in October this year. “It’s a huge event. Woman bikers from all over the world will be taking part in this first-of-its-kind race.
All the racers will be training for a few weeks before the race kicks off,” shares Alisha, who’s also got a couple of other big races to look forward to this year.
Next week Alisha will be racing in the National Racing Championship (Saloon Class) to be held in Coimbatore. “I will also be racing in the Formula BMW series as well later this year,” adds Alisha, who will be the lone Indian in the circuit there as well.
She is often the lone girl on the track too. This pint sized racer admits to “hate losing to men,” who admittedly never lose an opportunity to remind her of being the only girl on the race track.
“I love to tickle the male ego and know exactly how to deal with them. I might look small but can give any man a run for his money in the fitness stakes,” she declares.
At a recent national fitness camp held for racers in Coimbatore she outdid all the boys clocking 69 push ups a minute!
“When zooming past the track at speeds in excess of 200 kilometers an hour, you experience G-force and unless you are extremely fit, it’s hard to maintain focus.
I am a fitness fanatic and train religiously for five hours every single day,” shares Alisha, who is proud of her four pack abs and her toned, athletic body.
So, has she found love on the track too? Alisha retorts, “I would never date a fellow racer. I am too competitive for that and would hate to date a racer. I can’t think of doing anything other than beating them on the race track!”
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Racing> Racer / by Karthik Pasupulate, TNN / July 14th, 2013
Swimmers in action in the backstroke event at the district-level sub-junior and junior swimming championship 2013 in the city /. Photo: K. Ananthan / The Hindu
After a seven-year grind, the Coimbatore District Aquatic Association (CDAA) now boasts of at least half a dozen swimmers performing at the national level. “We are quite pleased with our efforts. But there’s something more that can be done. We are working exactly on that, said Vincent Adaikalraj, the CDAA president.
“We have trained most of our swimmers at our pool [Jenneys Residency (P) Ltd]. Most of them have been trained at no cost. We will continue to train them and take them to the next level,” he assured.
Speaking on the sidelines of the district-level junior and sub-junior meet, Mr. Vincent, who spends his time and energy in popularising the sport in this part of the region, said he was happy that the parents are supporting their wards in a big way. “Ï can see the enthusiasm in their eyes. They show great interest than their little ones. That’s pretty encouraging for us as well.”
“Thanks to that, the numbers keep increasing in our competition. And, with it, the quality, be it competition or performance, has also gone up,” he added.
He also pointed out that the girls are faring better than the boys. “They spend a lot of time and schedule their chars well with their parents. And that has fetched them the desired results.”
However, Mr. Vincent was sceptical about the future growth. “We need to have more pools in schools. It can be used by all. When small districts can have such pools, I am sad that the city, which is the second biggest in the State, does not have one.”
He said: “the pools must be easily accessible for the Government and Corporation school students. Because these children have sound mind and body.
Swimming is a poor man sport. It is not very expensive as well. I think it’s time we strengthen the infrastructure and churn many such students into quality swimmers.”
“From our side, we will keep sponsoring all the top stars for the big championships. We are also willing to coach the students who have the quality and dedication free of cost. Let us all join hands and lift the image of the sport,” he concluded.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Rayan Rozarion / Coimbatore – August 12th, 2013
Nirupama Vaidyanathan Sanjeev, one of India’s finest tennis players ever, still remembers that afternoon two decades ago in Japan when she lost a match from a winning position. She was done in by a sudden spell of cold weather. “I was totally unprepared as I was facing the extreme cold after coming from Chennai where the temperature was 42 degree. Internet was not so prevalent then for me to check the temperature level before leaving for Japan. The temperature there was sub-zero and I had just a light jacket,” said Nirupama, who was at her parents’ home in Race Course in Coimbatore on Wednesday, after releasing her memoirs, ‘The Moonballer’, in Chennai on Tuesday.
Presently settled in the US with husband and daughter, Nirupama calls Coimbatore her home, the city where her self-trained father taught her to play tennis. It was the Cosmopolitan Club at Race Course where she served and volleyed first. At Perks Matriculation School, she learned to be a winner. “The atmosphere at the school helped me a lot to hone my skills when I was a student there in the early 1990s”, she says.
Her father was her first coach. “I was from a modest background with no sponsors. It was my father’s effort that made me India’s number 1 tennis player at the age of 14 and the first Indian woman ever to win a round in a Grand Slam tournament,” she said.
Though tennis has a long history in India, women have had an insignificant presence. The Krishnans and the Amrithraj brothers at their peak figured in the top 25 ranks. The men did well in Davis Cup. So, when Nirupama started winning international matches, she was breaking new ground. “At a time when no one knew of professional Indian women tennis players, I ventured into this uncharted territory and scripted a path for youngsters to follow. I represented the country in SAF Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the Sydney Olympics apart from the Federation Cup. I have penned the book to inspire girls to take up tennis,” she said. Like Nirupama, her daughter Sahana, 7, too wants to play tennis at the international level.
The title of Nirupama’s book recalls her modest beginning. “I had beaten the best in India with the Moonball style,” she said. “I realised that I had a lot of stories to tell. The attempt is to inspire youngsters that where there is a will, there is a way,” she adds.
Cherishing her formative years as a budding tennis player in Coimbatore, Nirupama credits Perks Matriculation School for making her a winner. “The school’s impact on my sporting career is irrefutable. I joined Perks in February 1991, and in March 1991, I won the national women’s title,” she said.
“The Moonballer’, Nirupama says, is just the beginning. “My next book will be on parenting a Wimbledon champion and it will be a step-by-step guide for both the parents as well as the aspirants,” she said. Right from choosing a tennis racquet to identifying the right coach, she says the book will break down the entire process of becoming a winner into simple steps.
She should know. For the past eight years, Nirupama has been running Nirus Tennis Academy in the US with her brother, K V Ganesh. “It is a revealing experience to be a coach and many of my students are playing at university levels in the US,” she said. And, she continues to follow the scene in India. “A couple of players in India are doing ok, but the real problem is the difficulty in conceiving a team beyond them,” she says. For that, she thinks, more people needs to take up tennis or the game needs to be made more accessible to the public.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by TNN / August 08th, 2013
