LET’S NOT UNSING VISHY ANAND
Sport is mostly
associated physical activity, agility, strength, fitness, and perspiration. Maybe
that is why most people do not follow chess as a ‘sport’. But that does not
make World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand any less of a sportsman. In fact,
I will go on to say that Vishy Anand is India’s greatest sportsperson.
Chess is an individual
sport, which not many people understand, let alone follow. Watching a chess
match live can be a not-so-entertaining experience unless you have above
average IQ levels. And that is why it isn’t endorsed as well as the other
sports, especially in India. Of course Vishy changed this, he made sure that everybody
in India knew who he was and which sport he played. It would be fair to say
that he put India on the world map as far as chess is concerned. A sport dominated
by Russians, Anand carved his own niche and became one of the greatest Chess
players of all time. Yet you won’t see Anand posters on the road or any temples
built to worship him. His face doesn’t adorn any hoarding, or sells any popular
products. No celebrity ever gushes about him or how handsome he is, no child
says he wants to become like V Anand after he grows up and very few people
idolize him. My only question is why. And the only answer I get is media.
When Anand was en
route to becoming World Champion, again, at Moscow, the IPL was on in full
swing in India and that was the main focus of the media. Some publications
carried the headline but the articles were brief and left a lot to be desired. I
understand that in order to make more money, things like IPL are given more importance
in media, but with such a major achievements by an Indian, surely we could have
a lot more coverage on Anand. How else will the masses be aware of such
happenings if the media does not give it the place it deserves?
Recently there has
been lot of talks about sport being included as a category for India’s highest civilian
award, the Bharat Ratna and of course the name that has started this is Sachin
Tendulkar. But personally I think that is any Indian sportsman has to be given
the Bharat Ratna, it has to be Vishwanathan Anand. Anand is the first recipient
of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 99, in 2007 he was the first sportsperson to
be awarded the PadmaVibhushan. And it is only fair that he receives the Bharat Ratna
soon. I say this going out on a limb but with full conviction. And why not, considering
his sheer amount of achievements. Anand was India’s first Grandmaster back in 1988.
He has won the World Chess Championships five times, in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010
and 2012 and has been the undisputed World Number 1 since 2007. In a sport as competitive
and intensive as chess, such dominating is incredible, more so for an Indian.
To be
completely honest, I do not understand chess as much I would like to. I play
chess but my biggest achievement has been beating by 8-year old nephew once,
after losing to him countless times. And I can’t write about chess as I can
about other sports. But I wrote this piece for only one reason – to highlight
how Vishy Anand has always been the unsung hero, as compared to a Sachin
Tendulkar or a MS Dhoni, or sometimes even a Leander Paes. I hope to join
sports media one day and I would be very disappointed if I have SRK & KKR
on the front page when Anand should be there. I have only on e request of all
the sports writers, even those who write in 140 characters on twitter, let us
not unsing Vishy Anand. he is India’s greatest sports player.
