3rd Awards Function, Chennai
Players Receive Rs.5.60 Lakhs
Tamil Nadu Puts The Smiles On Its Players
By Arvind Aaron
The awardees pose for photographers after the ceremony. Pic: Arvind Aaron.
Continuing its high standards in player interest, the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association awarded its national and international achievers of 2004, showering them with cash awards ranging from Rs.50,000 to Rs.10,000 depending on the nature of the achievement. In all,
20 players received Rs.5.60 lakhs at a TNSCA Awards function on Jan 26, 2005. It was sponsored by
Ramco.
The Association headed by P.R.Venketrama Raja and IM Manuel Aaron have continued this great tradition that was first set by the legendary chess promoter Dr N.Mahalingam in Feb 2001, and in 2003. At a time when organisations like the AICF have attempted to take money from the players prize money and later regretted, here is an association which takes notice of players achievements and rewards them on an annual basis.
Vice President of the AICF, D.V.Sundar asked the Tamil Nadu players to excel in the years ahead and pinch the purse of Venketrama Raja further. He said there was a banging four years of chess activity ahead in India and Tamil Nadu in particular. Sundar asked Government of India to "adopt chess" with a special status as we are more successful than other sport in India. Sundar riduculed the media for taking those who enter second round in tennis to the front page and restrict chess success despite the success. Sundar felicitated the State Association saying, "you have made all other associations and even other sports shy by offering awards as much as Rs.20,000 to national champions."
R.Nataraj, Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai who distributed the awards said, "Police give importance for sports because it helps discipline." In his welcome address, Manuel Aaron said this awards ceremony was a brainchild of Dr N Mahalingam and it was increased from Rs.2.90 lakhs to Rs.5.60 lakhs by Venketrama Raja. These awards are besides Central and State Govt help.
During the ceremony, TNSCA President Venketrama Raja released the "TN Chess 2004" souvenir and the first copy was received by A.Surya Narayana Rao, Correspondent, Jawahar Vidyalaya School, Chennai. This colourfully printed book contains various historical information and can be bought for Rs.150.
Viswanathan Anand who won the World Rapid Championship in Nov 2003 was missed out from this awards list.
But he is too big a star for these awards. Anand and Sasikiran were not in station.
Vijayalakshmi who is to get married on Jan 27 did not attend the ceremony. About
200 people attended.
The list of recepients:
FIDE Titles: R.B.Ramesh (GM in Oct 2004) Rs.50,000, S.Meenakshi (WGM in Jan 2004) Rs.30,000, Y.Prathiba (IWM in Asian Junior, Colombo July 2003) Rs.20,000, S.Poobesh Anand (IM in Asian Junior, Colombo July 2003) Rs.30,000, M.R.Venkatesh (IM in Jan 2004) Rs.30,000, R.R.Laxman (IM in March 2004) Rs.30,000, S.Arun Prasad (IM in Asian Junior, Bikaner 2004) Rs.30,000, R.Balasubramaniam (IM in Jan 2005, Delhi) Rs.30,000.
National and Asian Titles: R.B.Ramesh (National B, Nagpur) Rs.20,000, P.Mageshchandran (Asian Junior, gold, Colombo) Rs.20,000, J.Rajasurya (Asian U-14, Kozhikode) Rs.20,000, M.R.Venkatesh (National Junior, Bikaner) Rs.20,000, N.Raghavi (National Junior Girls, Vijayawada) Rs.20,000, S.Arun Prasad (National and Asian Sub-Junior Teheran) Rs.20,000, S.Arun Prasad (National U-18, Hyderabad) Rs.20,000, P.Priya (National U-18 Girls, Chennai) Rs.20,000, J.Mohanapriya (National U-9 Girls, Kozhikode) Rs.20,000, S.Nitin (National U-12 Boys Rapid, Kozhikode) Rs.10,000, K.E.R.Ranjitha (National U-12 Girls Rapid, Kozhikode) Rs.10,000, H.Soumya (National U-14 Girls, Kozhikode) Rs.10,000, Preetham Sharma (National U-25, Vijayawada) Rs.20,000, N.Srinath (Asian U-10, gold, Singapore) Rs.20,000, Pon K.Krithika (Asian Youth U-12 Gold, Singapore) Rs.20,000, S.P.Sethuraman (Asian U-12 Gold, Singapore) Rs.20,000, S.P.Sethuraman (National U-13, Vijayawada) Rs.20,000.