New Delhi: Cricket may be the undisputed numero uno sport in India but the country is also moving towards a chess renaissance and it would not be too long before the 64-square game acquires mass popularity, says world champion Viswanathan Anand.

"In India cricket is a fact of life, you have to accept that. But, you have to build chess as a mass sport in India, and potentially we are building a huge chess family. India is moving forward to a chess renaissance," Anand told Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.

Anand, however, said he for one has never felt slighted because of cricket.

"I think you can always promote a sport better, but I don't really feel neglected or badly treated in any way," he said.

Anand felt with 17 Grandmasters, India has proved to be a chess hub and just needs to build on it to make the sport more popular.

"Chess is one sport where we seem to have taken to it naturally. At the youth level championships, nowadays we have under 12,under 14,under 16,(at) every level its (happening)," he said.

Asked how felt competing against youngsters in their early 20s, Anand said he takes it as a challenge to perform at 38.

"I would say, I enjoy Chess. I enjoy the tournament circuit and the challenge that comes from going to tournament.

"But also I think I am just curious, I am curious to see how long it can go (on). Chess is getting more and more interesting. The last few years, we have lots of young players coming along," said the world number one Indian.

On the disparity in the earnings of cricketers and athletes from other sports, Anand said nobody could grudge the cricketers earnings as that was being taken care of by their Board, the BCCI.

"The BCCI is a cricketing body, if they do something, it's between them. You have wide difference in prize money in various sports. I have my prize money as well. So I don't want to complain too much. In fact no complaint at all," he said.

 

Source : PTI