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AICF needs to change marketing strategy: Anand
Kolkata, June 12: Regretting the lack of sponsorship in Indian chess, former world champion Viswanathan Anand today said that the All India Chess Federation needed to change its marketing strategy to stem the trend.
Kolkata, June 12: Regretting the lack of sponsorship in Indian chess, former world champion Viswanathan Anand today said that the All India Chess Federation needed to change its marketing strategy to stem the trend.
"AICF is a good and dynamic tournament organiser. But it has to improve on the marketing front and take a re-look at its strategy in this regard," Anand told newspersons here.
Anand said while many of the talented youngsters in the country had personal sponsors, it was a fact that the game could have done with a 'few more serious tournaments', for which corporates needed to play a bigger role.
India's numero uno grandmaster expressed happiness with the performance of the juniors in various age group world championships. "Be it the under-10 or under-12 or under 14, some Indians are always up in the top hierarchy. This is extremely heartening".
Naming Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Abhijit Kunte, P Harikrishna and Koneru Humpy as the most promising Indian youngsters, Anand, said he often held informal discussions with them on various nuances of the game.
"We always consult each other, mostly through e-mail. But I don't have any scheme to start an academy now. As a player I have a hectic schedule. So, it will be very difficult to find time to run an academy," he said.
Bureau Report
Anand said while many of the talented youngsters in the country had personal sponsors, it was a fact that the game could have done with a 'few more serious tournaments', for which corporates needed to play a bigger role.
India's numero uno grandmaster expressed happiness with the performance of the juniors in various age group world championships. "Be it the under-10 or under-12 or under 14, some Indians are always up in the top hierarchy. This is extremely heartening".
Naming Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Abhijit Kunte, P Harikrishna and Koneru Humpy as the most promising Indian youngsters, Anand, said he often held informal discussions with them on various nuances of the game.
"We always consult each other, mostly through e-mail. But I don't have any scheme to start an academy now. As a player I have a hectic schedule. So, it will be very difficult to find time to run an academy," he said.
Bureau Report