World chess king hopes sport makes Olympic debut
2 hours ago
NEW DELHI (AFP) — Reigning world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand of India said Tuesday that he hoped his sport would one day be included in the Olympic Games as a medal discipline.
The bespectacled Anand, crowned chess king two weeks ago after toppling Russia’s Vladimir Kramnik in Mexico City, said it would be some time before chess made it to that level — but he was optimistic.
“Hopefully some time in the near future chess would make it as a regular Olympic discipline,” said the 37-year-old nicknamed the “Tiger from Madras” — the old name for his home city of Chennai.
Chess has been accepted by the International Olympic Committee as an associate sport and was played at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in December last year.
“First they have to have it as a trial sport and then the next time it becomes a full medal sport,” said Anand, who also won the world crown in 2000.
Anand, who said he was still enjoying his recent victory, named Russia’s Garry Kasparov as the all time great he had played against.
“It really comes down to between him and (Bobby) Fischer for the all time greats,” he said.
Source: AFP Google
i So do i Anand, too bad ill never make it to the podium, but we can still enjoy it watching it like a 100mts race! cant wee??
jb.
congratualations again!
Anand is and will be a great champion. I think he will help the sport as much as he can.
Will it be in the Summer or Winter Olympics?
I would be perfect between the Luge and the Men’s Downhill or Giant Slalom.
I wonder also if this would stop chess players from taking performance enhancing drugs? Kramnik and Topalov definitely looked like muscle bound when they played their last match.
I think blitz would be a draw for the media, and very worthy of inclusion into the Olympic Games.