By Dipak Ragav, SJFI Vice-President
Chennai, June 25, 2026 — Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand became the latest recipient of the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) gold medal during a glittering ceremony at the Madras Cricket Club (MCC) here on Wednesday.
The Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) instituted the prestigious SJFI Medal in 2019 to honour sportspersons whose contributions have transcended competitive success and signicantly influenced the growth and development of their respective sports over several decades.
As a nationwide association of sports journalists, the SJFI has long
been an integral part of India’s sporting ecosystem. The sports journalists have been part of the print and electronic media, and thereby enriched sports journalism in India.
Anand, who is serving as the deputy president of chess governing body FIDE, joins an esteemed awardee list that also includes India’s sporting icons, Sunil Gavaskar (cricket), Vijay Amritraj (tennis), Prakash Padukone (badminton), P.T. Usha (athletics) and Milkha Singh – posthumously – (athletics).
The gold medal was presented to the 56-year-old by former India cricket team captain and chief selector K. Srikkanth.
Anand was filled with joy upon receiving the honour. “I am proud in a way to have been a catalyst for the growth of chess in India. This is very much a recognition by my peers for real achievements and contributions. This is very special because it is hardcore; these are people who will appreciate you for what you did and not necessarily the impact it had or anything else,” Anand said besides thanking his wife Aruna Anand while addressing the gathering.
Srikkanth, the chief guest on the occasion, was at his witty best. “Way back in 1985 or 1986, I played chess with Anand; that is my claim to fame. As usual, I got knocked out in five or six moves, but that is fine. Being the world champion in an individual sport… just imagine. He deserves a standing ovation,” said Srikkanth as the attendees rose in unison to celebrate the achievements of the legendary Grandmaster.
Olympic gold-winning hockey player V. Baskaran was present, and veteran journalist R. Mohan read the citation that was later presented to Anand. During his speech, Baskaran hailed the SJFI for “doing a wonderful job in promoting sports”.
The SJFI president Saraju Chakraborty delivered the welcome address, while the federation’s secretary V. Ramesh proposed the vote of thanks. Other eminent sports personalities, including Grandmasters K. Sasikiran, Shyam Sundar, International Masters Manuel Aaron, V. Saravanan and former hockey player Mohammed Riaz, were also in attendance.
On the occasion, India’s first chess Grandmaster Anand released a 44-page ebook on him that contained articles by India’s top 7 GMs and eminent chess writers among others.
The event was hosted in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Sports Journalists’ Association (TNSJA), an affiliate of SJFI.
