Focus should be on athletes: Anand

At a time the sporting fraternity is divided over Salman Khan becoming brand ambassador for the Indian contingent at the upcoming Olympics, five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand today said that the focus should be to address the needs of the Rio-bound athletes.
"We want everyone to get involved and participate but that should not be at expense of sport. It's not really for me either and or. If the things sportspersons need are addressed then there's no conflict of involving non sports people," Anand told reporters at his felicitation ceremony here.
Indian Olympic Association's decision to make the Bollywood superstar as the goodwill ambassador for the Rio-bound contingent yesterday, snowballed into a controversy with many like star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and legendary sprinter Milkha Singh criticising the decision.

Anand said, "It's not a question of either and or. It's better if both work. I hope we get some success in Rio. It's too late to start preparing. It's essentially you have already prepared. You can only fine-tune now."
He also extended his good wishes to India's latest sensation Dipa Karmakar who's become the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics.
"It's really nice to see another sport where there's a breakthrough and doing well. Now we have presence in gymnastics, it's very nice and all the best wishes to her," he said.

Having finished third at the World Chess Candidates Tournament in Moscow last month, Anand failed to qualify for the World Championship for the first time in 10 years but the 46-year-old said retirement was the last thing on his mind.

Terming that it would be a shocking day, he said: "I'm not seriously thinking about it because I've been playing well. I'm trying to be positive. It's very hard to plan for retirement.
All my life I've been playing and competing has been the most natural thing. That (Retirement) will be a kind of shock. I don't think I can get ready for it. Having said that, it will happen one day and I will have to deal with it."
Reflecting on the Candidates tournament, he said, "I found it very strange. I was having these highs and at the same time I was losing games. I was still impulsive and it was a roller-coaster. It caught me as surprise as well."

Anand conceded that there would be tough roads ahead to qualify again but said he would took it in his stride.
"I was seeded but this time I've to qualify again. It has to be through World Cup or rating. That's the first challenge, and then I will go from there. Certainly I will try again. Next time I expect new faces to join in. I hope I will still qualify and manage to try," said Anand.