Best Indian Sportsman of the year award

By Arvind Aaron

Viswanathan Anand's parents, K.Viswanathan, Retired, General Manager, Southern Railway and Sushila Viswanathan received the CNN Indian of the year 2007 award in the sports category on behalf of the champion who is away in Europe. The ceremony took place at Taj Palace in Delhi on Jan 29.

An excited Vishy Anand and his wife Aruna Anand followed the webcast of the event live in CNN IBN's website from Madrid.

"It was not easy to make a world champion. Besides divine grace, lot of sacrifices had to be made at his younger days and my wife decided to travel together with Anand," said Anand's father. Commending his son for his achievements in chess, his father said Anand stood for his humility, honesty and gentlemanliness.

Kapil Dev, former captain of the Indian Cricket team which won the World Cup in 1983 said, "He made us proud. True champion of our country." When CNN IBN's editor Rajdeep Sardesai asked Kapil Dev, which was the more difficult game, "cricket or chess", the cricketing legend replied "for me chess".

Chess got the much deserved public attention from eminent people of India thanks to Anand's huge achievement in 2007.

 

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Published on 04^th  Feb, 2008