IOA hails Anand, calls him great role model

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has hailed grandmaster Viswanathan Anand for winning the World Chess title for a record fifth time in Moscow on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday hailed grandmaster Viswanathan Anand for winning the World Chess title for a record fifth time in Moscow on Wednesday.

In a statement here, IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra said Anand has done the country proud by retaining the World Title. "Anand has once again lived up to the reputation of being Speed King and in the process he has created a milestone in the history of chess by winning the title for a record fifth time," Malhotra said. "Anand, through his performances, has emerged as a true role model and great ambassador of India. I wish him more success in future," he added. Anand showed immense resilience to beat challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel in a tense rapid chess tie-breaker to win the crown for the fifth time and fourth in a row. PTI