Kochi, Dec 23: Chess has at last got its due. The Union Government has promoted chess to Category A for the first time keeping in view its popularity and the performance. Category A is basically the priority area in the bureaucratic parlance and there is no better time for the game to be upgraded as its best player, Viswanathan Anand, is at present making headway in the World Chess Championship in Groningen and one of its prodigies, Kuneru Humpy, has just won the world under-10 girls' title in France.

All-India Chess Federation secretary P T Ummerkoya said this was a long-cherished dream of chess fraternity in general and the association in particular. The government of late decided to review its categorisation of various sports disciplines according to the ``present level of performance, status and popularity of games at the appropriate level.''

After the changes, Category A includes, athletics, boxing, chess, hockey (men and women), kabaddi, shooting, tennis, volleyball and weight-lifting. Twenty disciplines, including football, handball, TT, basketball and badminton, are in Category B, which is referred to as the General Section. Another 21 events are in Category C, falling under the head `Others'. Government assistance varies from category to category.

Ummerkoya said the National Chess Federation had submitted its Long Term Development Plan in time and hoped that the Government would co-operate with its implementation. ``We should have more Grandmaster and world-level tournaments at home so that young talents get the exposure at the right time and mature fast,'' he said. ``In chess, the results are there for all to see. Right from children's stage, Indians have produced world class performances.''

The catch, however, is in the wording of the Department of Youth Affair's letter to various sports federations. It says ``the scale of financial assistance shall, however, remain unchanged.'' Chess lovers hope this will not be used as a peg by the Department of Youth Affairs to indulge in marking ``at no cost to the Government'', the perennial footnote in all clearances.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.