Massive Midnight Turnout To Greet Anand

By Arvind Aaron

The world champion Viswanathan Anand was given a special hero's welcome on November 20 when he arrived at hometown Chennai from Frankfurt. Anand had defeated Vladimir Kramnik 6.5-4.5 on October 29. After armed policemen could not manage to control the crowd of onlookers, media, chess players pushing towards the champion, they escorted him to his car from the arrival gate directly sidestepping the area where he was supposed to be felicitated. So, there was no felicitation as such. Half the people who had come to greet him even did not manage a glimse of the champion.

There was the expected chaos that surrounded managing the super star's welcome. For example, the organiser of the reception International Arbiter K. Muralimohan, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Chess Association never got to see the champion! Earlier, prior to arrival, his parents and parents-in-law were waiting for the champion in the VIP lounge. There was three band teams and scores of banners from various chess clubs and NIIT his sponsor. The arrival gate was noisy after one year.

When the drums and band was on, it signalled that Lufthansa Jet had landed in Chennai. When lights and flashes lit up the midnight arrival gate, it meant Anand was at the arrival gate. Luckily there was no stampede. I saw Anand running with a ring of policemen around. They overshot the car and ran ahead and came back. It was more like kabbadi. Those who missed taking photos of Anand said next time we should "push" others and then take our photos.

India's greatest sporting star Vishy Anand gave chess the must needed boost and the public saw the interest for chess and the people around. Though many did not get to see or wish him. There was an air of disappointment when his car left since 99% of the people had not greeted him. Anand looked surprised at so many people around that when he sat inside his car there was some relief for him.

Over hundreds of garlands awaited the champion but the organisation was poor that only two or three people managed to garland Anand. "We will wait for December 11 when AICF felicitates him to garland," said IM Manuel Aaron. Many players, IM M.R. Vankatesh, IM B. Adhiban world U-16 champion, IM S.P. Sethuraman, IM M. Shyamsundar, IA V. Kameswaran and many many others were present. J.C.D. Prabhakaran, Vice President, TNSCA managed to greet Anand at the door of his car.

Among others, there were a huge presence of journalists. Notable among them was Hari Hara Nandanan of Times of India who said his newspaper is publishing four pages on Anand in tomorrow's Times Of India, Chennai edition.

After Anand left the airport, his wife Aruna Anand was talking to the media thanking all those who had come at the middle of the night to the airport to receive them. Aruna singled out Anand's winning with the black pieces as the high point of this match victory. When I was approaching to listen to Aruna's statements, one man asked me in Tamil, "is she an actress?" Aruna's parents Mr and Mrs Ananth and Anand's manager Kuri Abraham kept people away from getting any close to her.

Someone asked, "Where has Anand sir left?" Aruna Anand replied: "I myself do not know!" How can we get bytes from Anand sir? Aruna Anand: Call us tomorrow and the number is .. All media people were dialling that number already and Anand should be busy for some days now in Chennai.
 

Home                                                 Published on 21^st November,  2008