Vishwanathan Anand was a 14-year-old teenager from Chennai who was passionately pursuing a career in chess, when in 1983, SPB chose to sponsor a chess team named ‘Madras Colts’ for a national championship. He had heard through a friend that the team had a very talented teenager and needed a sponsor for the tournament. SPB readily agreed and handed over the amount to the organisers. And it was this tournament that propelled the 14-year-old chess prodigy to national and international fame.
In a tweet after SPB’s death was announced, Anand expressed his gratitude for the very first sponsorship he got. “It was a 4 member team and it meant a lot for them to go to Mumbai and play the tournament,” says Aruna, Vishwanathan Anand’s wife. “It was one of the tournaments that really helped Anand grow in the national circuit,” she adds. SPB had even attended the felicitation ceremony for the player following the tournament.
Aruna states that Anand had grown up listening to SPB’s songs as his mother used to keep the radio on in the kitchen as she cooked, and her favourite song was Kamban Emandhan from the movie Nizhal Nijamagiradhu. Anand, too, really grew to love the song. Aruna recalls meeting SPB and his wife, with Anand, in an airport a few years ago. “Anand went up to him and SPB and reminded him of the sponsorship and SPB said he remembers it clearly. “Through the years Anand and SPB have met at several events and functions. The most touching gesture from SPB was when he appeared on a talk show where Anand was being interviewed, and spoke about his simplicity and ability to handle success,” she adds. The show, Weekend with Stars on Zee TV, hosted by Suhasini Maniratnam, featured an over 40 minute interview of the chess grandmaster.
