It’s been seven years since a chess player got the Arjuna award and the iconic Viswanathan Anand is hoping that India’s triumphant campaign at the online Chess Olympiad will change this when the national sporting honours are announced next year.
In an interview after India won the top honours jointly with Russia on Sunday, Anand, a recipient of both the Arjuna and the Khel Ratna, said award recognition is due for the sport’s practitioners in India.
“I hope this will lead to all sorts of positive things including the reconsideration in the Sports Ministry of the Arjuna award and the Dronacharya awards for chess. It has been a long time,” said the country’s first Khel Ratna awardee.
The last time a chess player received the Arjuna was in 2013 when Abhijeet Gupta was bestowed the honour, while a chess coach has been given the Dronacharya just twice — Raghunandan Vasant Gokhale (1986) and Koneru Ashok (2006).
“Sometimes you need to show that we are still there and I hope this results in positive impetus for many things,” Anand said.
He said in the last few years, there has been “a drop off in the attitude of the Sports Ministry towards chess players” regarding Government awards.
“I don’t mean at a personal level obviously. Just that institutionally, we no longer get awards for international competitions,” Anand said later in an online media interaction.
Anand also touched upon the wrangling within the national federation.
“It might be due to various issues pertaining to code of conduct etc. Our federation has had some difficulties. It would be nice to reset this. And the best way to reset this is not by writing long letters to editors but by having good results like this.”
‘Magical moment for us’
The legendary player termed India’s maiden Gold medal win in the Chess Olympiad as a “magical moment” which will spur the further growth of the sport in the country.
“The tournament went like a dream for me. A special Gold for me. A special moment for youngsters. Winning the Gold is simply a magical moment,” Anad told reporters during an online media interaction, along with all the other 11 members of the Indian team.
“I hope this will be the start of many things for India,” Anand said of the country’s first Gold medal in the Chess Olympiad.
Indian men had previously won a Bronze in the 2014 edition, which was the country’s best finish before this Gold.
“The Olympiad win is very special...A very special medal I will add to my collection,” he added.