Indian chess body to recommend Anand for Bharat Ratna

The Central Council of the All India Chess Federation Tuesday unanimously decided to recommend Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand for the Bharat Ratna award.

Two other icons, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and hockey Olympian late Major Dhyan Chand are also being lobbied for the country’s highest civilian award after the union government decided to include sports personalities in the eligibility list.

The AICF Council that met here also decided to explore the possibility of tying up with Anil Kumble‘s Tenvic Sports with regard to setting up a National Chess Academy which will basically try to promote chess coaching, to regulate coaches and to broad-base the game throughout India, according to an AICF press release.