Chennai Sports & Sports Infrastructure

[ceeznic pirate]

World champion Anand to defend title in Russia

CHENNAI: The Federation Internationale des Echecs (Fide) has allotted the 2012 world chess championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand of Israel to Russia.

The Fide announcement has come as a shock to Indian in general and Chennai in particular as the Tamil Nadu government had given the financial backing to All India Chess Federation (AICF) to organise the match in Anand's hometown.

It is learnt that the Indian federation's bid of $2.25 million lost out to Russia's winning offer of $2.55 million. "Yeah, we are a bit disappointed but then Fide has given us the option of hosting the 2013 world title match," said DV Sundar, Fide vice-president.

"I am looking at the positive. This gives us more time to plan our preparations. Let us hope Anand wins the match in Russia and play in India next time," added Sundar.

The match will be held in May 2012 in Moscow, Russia .Fide president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov expressed his gratitude AICF which worked very hard to put in a very competitive bid with the support of the government of Tamil Nadu.

The challenger, Boris Gelfand, liked the idea of playing the match in Moscow: "I wouldn't say that I will be playing in Moscow like I was at home, but I'll feel very comfortable in the Russian capital. I'm sure Anand will like it there too. The world champion has many fans in the Russian capital," the challenger was quoted as saying. Anand was not available for comment.

While announcing the venue for the 2012 match, Ilyumzhinov said AICF would be given a first option of three months following the match in Moscow, to make a proposal for the organization of the world chess championship match 2013.

Fide also announced the women's world chess championship match between women world champion Hou Yifan of China and the challenger Koneru Humpy of India, will be held in Tirana, Albania in November 2011 for a prize fund of 200,000 euros.

Under the terms of the tender, the organisers of the match must guarantee a minimum purse of one million euros and transfer a further 200,000 in dues to Fide.

Moscow was the first to make its bid back in June. "A serious sponsor has indicated an interest in the match between Anand and Gelfand being held in Moscow," said Ilya Levitov, head of the Russian Chess Federation.

Initially, the benefactor's name was kept secret, but later the Russian press said the man who is ready to provide $2.5 million for the world chess title match is Andrei Filatov, co-owner of the N-Trans Group of companies. Having a Candidate Master title himself, he has recently been acting as a chess patron. He paid for the restoration of a monument to Alexander Alekhine in Paris.

The last time Moscow hosted a world championship in chess was in 1985 between Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. However, Russia later held the Fide knockout world championship in 2002.

TOI

[kannan infratech]

Chennai lost narrowly.

[TShyam]

[bonoslack7]

http://zeenews.india.com/news/others...ch_725619.html

In an apparent bid to placate India after Chennai was deprived of the World Chess Championship Match between Vishwanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand of Israel next year, the game's world governing body has now offered the 2013 edition of the prestigious event to the city.

In a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said the world body would want All India Chess Federation to host the 2013 Match.

"This is to recall that the FIDE delegation headed by President called on the Chief Minister for the organisation of this match at Chennai. The Hon'ble Cheif Minister was spontaneous in giving her consent to organise this match at Chennai and sanctioned an amount of USD 4.4 million towards expenses which included USD 2.25 million as Prize money," Ilyumzhinov said in the letter released by AICF Vice-President D V Sundar.

"However, the match was allotted to Moscow as their bid towards prize money was USD 2.55 million. Impressed by the Chief Minister's love for the game of chess and graciously agreeing to his request, the FIDE President has offered the 2013 match to the All India Chess Federation," according to the letter.

The FIDE president said "to our knowledge this is the first time ever that FIDE has offered a title match to anyone directly."

Chennai was tipped to host the Championship Match and the chess fraternity was waiting in anticipation that world champion Anand will defend his title at his home city. The Match was later given to Moscow, apparently because the Russian capital had offered more prize money.

[TShyam]

[vinodgopal]

the Legendary Russian dominance in Chess will end soon. They no longer will have their say. The list of world champions in the past and to give an idea of the Russian domination....

William Steinitz - Austria
Emanual Laskar - Germany
Jose Roaul Capablanca - Cuba
Alexander Alekhine - Russia and later France
Max Euwe - Holland
Mikhail Botvinnik - Russia
Smyslov - Russia
Mikhail Tal - Russia
Tigran Petrosian - Russia
Boris Spassky - Russia
Robert (Bobby) Fischer - USA
Anotaly Karpov - Russia
Gary Kasparov - Russia
Vladimir Kramnik - Russia
Vishwanathan Anand - India
Vaselin Topolov - Bulgaria
Ruslan Ponomariov - Ukraine
Alexander Khaliffman - Russia
Rustam Kasimdzhanov - Uzbekistan

[saysenthil]

Jaya comes up with game-changing plans

In a major fillip to sports development in the State, Tamilnadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced in the Assembly today that a Centre of Excellence in Sports would be set up soon to train students.


Reading a statement under Rule 110, Jayalalithaa, whose love and concern for all sports is well known, said her government would give utmost importance to games and take all possible initiatives for their development.

'Sports can make a student a responsible citizen. Members of this Assembly are well aware that various initiatives were taken during my earlier regime for sports development', she said.

......

http://newstodaynet.com/newsindex.ph...0&%20section=7

[bharathkasthuri]

The ruling party has done some good development (relatively) in the earlier regime. Hope to see some plan and actioin on this.

Will it be again in OMR-Mahabs-Pondy areas like financial city (proposed)?

[ceeznic pirate]

The tale of our speed racers

At the peak of its popularity in the 1970s and 80s, the first Sunday of February was the biggest racing carnival the country could boast of. An Indian Air Force airstrip with a distinct T-shaped straight, 20-odd kilometres north of Chennai, drew in crowds of over 50,000 year after
year.


It made for a grand spectacle and many of the country's rich and famous raced there, the din of the raucous fans matched by the growl of the vintage cars. However, it was less an entry into the world of professional motorsport and more a venue for pure car-to-car racing.

The drivers too, many of them wealthy industrialists and princes with garages full of exotic cars, weren't really eager to embrace motorsport as a profession.

When Akbar Ebrahim, the country's first motorsport professional to race extensively in Formula car series' abroad, competed there for the first time as a 15-year-old in 1978, the governing rules were so relaxed that he raced his saloon car, an 1800cc Fiat 128, against Formula cars.

"I had never seen Formula One, never heard of it, didn't have a clue what it was. It was all about the thrill of racing, getting in a car and trying to make it go the fastest it can. There was no concept of a racing calendar or organised racing, it was once a year and it was all out," Ebrahim told HT.

He remembers that first race well. It was a 50-lap race.

"All the Formula cars had mechanical faults after 20 laps, and I was the only one left. I kept racing for a further twenty laps after that and won," added the 47-year-old.



Career shift
Like almost any other racer at the time, Ebrahim didn't think there was a career in it. So on his father's insistence he focused all his energy on the other sport he excelled in - cricket.

By the time he was 20 he had shifted to English county Essex, where he would play in the Essex local league.

Primarily a batsman, Ebrahim's position in the batting order was two-drop. The man batting at number three was an Australian youngster, whose stay was sponsored by media mogul Kerry Packer, named Steve Waugh.

"I had forgotten about racing, and cricket was the only thing on my mind.

"I was on the verge of making the Tamil Nadu Ranji team (which he soon would). Steve and I spent a lot of time together at the crease, and we often talked at length both on and off the pitch," said Ebrahim. Their talks were often held over a pint or few.

"We also spent many nights getting drunk. It was great fun," he added.

Full 360
His cricket career never really took off, and he was at the crossroads. "I was almost 26 in 1988 (when the inaugural Formula Maruti was held), and I decided to get into motorsport again."

In 1991, he competed in the inaugural F3 race at the new circuit in Sriperumbudur, which had replaced Sholavaram as the de facto headquarters of Indian motorsport. The series again proved to be shortlived as escalating budgets saw it shut shop in three years.

In 1994, with funding from JK Tyres and partial funding from sponsors such as BPL, Ebrahim competed in a series abroad, the 1994 Bristish Formula 2 series and the Formula Asia series, in which he finished a creditable third.

Young blood
As Ebrahim's career was coming to an end, another Indian was climbing through the ranks. By 1998, Narain Karthikeyan was well on his way to taking over Ebrahim's mantle as nation's top Formula car racer.

Competing in the British F3 championship, the Coimbatore racer capped the season with podium finishes at both Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone.

With no set order in place he travelled far and wide, from Europe to Japan, to get top-flight racing experience.

Karthikeyan recalls the early days on the road as a testing period.

"It was a very hostile environment - but I was able to showcase my abilities regardless and things took their course from then onwards."

As the years passed, Karun Chandhok followed Karthikeyan into the rarefied air of F1, aided by improving motorsport awareness and more doors opening up.

A host of other Indian drivers, the likes of Akbar's son Armaan Ebrahim and Aditya Patel are competing in racing series' aborad.

Beyond F1
The current generation of motorsport hopefuls has it better than ever before. A host of racing series' are already in the country, with plenty more primed to enter.

"There's the national rally championship, there's a national karting championship, there's the Volkswagen Polo Cup. Audi will start a racing series next year, as will Toyota," said Ebrahim.

However, he feels that most of the aspiring drivers lack the commitment required to become professionals. "There are many talented drivers in the country. Take the example of Vishnu Prasad. He's one of the best young racers in the country, but somehow his commitment is questionable. His attitude towards fitness is woeful, an aspect, and a very important one at that, which is lost on many youngsters," he said.

Ebrahim added that young drivers in the country should start looking beyond F1, the wide world of professional motorsport awaits.

"I never understood the obsession with F1. To pay a great sum of money, just to get a tag. What will one get to show for it? That's what I've been trying to drill into the minds of all young racers.

"They can make a career out of it, a profitable one too. Look at Aditya Patel, after a while he realized single-seat racing wasn't his forte and is now doing quite well in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup."

Source

[metalfan]

Have they started the renovation for the remaining stands at Chepauk ? What is the eta for completion ?

[Pearlking]

Is there a possibility of new Cricket stadium in chennai outskirts as Srinivasan is the BCCI head??

[krishnaswamy]

Originally Posted by Pearlking

Is there a possibility of new Cricket stadium in chennai outskirts as Srinivasan is the BCCI head??

yen... already they are looting public money in the name of "tickets" without any good quality.. they are paying very less rent also...i think it is Rs 68k/year...
why the hell they need to go outskirts?
they have asked "huge" land in ECR... they are not deserving it, as they dont pay any taxes and claim that it is autonomous body..

[murlee]

WTF???

Rejigged stadium awaits nod, ODI fate uncertain



IN THE DOCK: Three new stands, with a capacity to seat 8,000, were built without clearance from the CMDA or the environment ministry

The fate of the India-West Indies one day match in the city on December 10 is uncertain. The MAChidambaram stadium, where the game is to be played, is yet to get clearance from the National Coastal Zone Management Authority(NCZMA) under the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). Senior Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) officials said the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), which owns the stadium, hadn’t approached them for approval of the plan proposal or completion certificate.

There was a controversy after three new stands were built in the stadium with a capacity to seat an additional 8,000 people without clearance from the CMDA or MoEF. In September 2010, the management approached the CMDA for approval. The latter returned the proposal, citing deviations in the plan as per the new Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) amendment. “It is the Union ministry that should approve the plan. We can approve the project only after the clearance from the NCZMA,” said a CMDA official.He added that no eventcould be conducted at the stadium without clearance.

After reconstruction began in 2009, the Chennai Corporation found that approval had been obtained only for renovation and that the construction of additional stands (G, H, I) was not in the proposal. “The CMDA returned the
plan permission proposal finding a violation of the amended CRZ rules,” said a corporation official. The additional stands remained closed during theChampionsLeague Series in September-October.

The clearance from the MoEF became difficult for the TNCA due to the amended CRZ notification.The notification widened the definition of coastal land area. It also introduced Coastal Zone Management plans that regulate coastal development activities, normally formulated by state governments or the regional administrations concerned.
When contacted, TNCA secretary K S Viswanathan said they were awaiting the ministry’s nod and that the match would be cancelled if the reply was negative. “November 17 has been fixed for hearing our appeal and we await the response. Sale of tickets will start only after that,” he said.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[cactus_54]

Originally Posted by murlee

WTF???

Rejigged stadium awaits nod, ODI fate uncertain



IN THE DOCK: Three new stands, with a capacity to seat 8,000, were built without clearance from the CMDA or the environment ministry



http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

How is that going to violate the so called amended CRZ rules.They have demolished and constucted at the same place and the sea coast is where it is all these decades.How will it violate? Funny regulations your country has

[kannan infratech]

Any building - new or old reconstruction - in CRZ area has to get permission before starting the work. Even a small house on Cooum / B.Canal Bank needs it.

MAC Stadium lies within 100 metres of Buckingham canal which is classified as CRZ 2 area. Permission is needed from TNPCB which is the nodal agency for CRZ clearance for smaller construction. For huge construction MoEF has to clear.

Most of the Govt Depts do not take permission and start building and end up in project delay due to this lapse.

It happened for Adayar Poonga, Ambedkar Mani Mandapam etc.

They never learn from the earlier mistakes.

TNCA could have easily approached TNPCB HQ as it is in Chennai itself.

[wlbkng]

Enakennamo idhula Srinivasan (Chennai cements owner) - Admk modhal irukkonu thonudhu

[dis.agree]

Originally Posted by cactus_54

How is that going to violate the so called amended CRZ rules.They have demolished and constucted at the same place and the sea coast is where it is all these decades.How will it violate? Funny regulations your country has

yes, these rules are all absolute farce. if cmda & all these ministries are abolished, there is hope for a better future.

[Seyoan]

Originally Posted by krishnaswamy

yen... already they are looting public money in the name of "tickets" without any good quality.. they are paying very less rent also...i think it is Rs 68k/year...
why the hell they need to go outskirts?
they have asked "huge" land in ECR... they are not deserving it, as they dont pay any taxes and claim that it is autonomous body..

But at the end of the day all that matters is chennai having just the MAC vs MAC & and awesome state of art stadium. I would prefer the latter and would not mind State govt losing few bucks on the real estate value anyway if they have not given it to TNCA are you and me going to be the beneficiaries in any way of that real estate?

[staravindan]

Originally Posted by kannan infratech

Any building - new or old reconstruction - in CRZ area has to get permission before starting the work. Even a small house on Cooum / B.Canal Bank needs it.

MAC Stadium lies within 100 metres of Buckingham canal which is classified as CRZ 2 area. Permission is needed from TNPCB which is the nodal agency for CRZ clearance for smaller construction. For huge construction MoEF has to clear.

Most of the Govt Depts do not take permission and start building and end up in project delay due to this lapse.

It happened for Adayar Poonga, Ambedkar Mani Mandapam etc.

They never learn from the earlier mistakes.

TNCA could have easily approached TNPCB HQ as it is in Chennai itself.

isnt it funny......all thses regulation are chennai specific.... no highrise ...etc....

if they are so regulation conscious wht about those illegal const on the banks of coovum n adyar river. anybody after visiting these places will be confused does all these regulation exist ....n..if so implemented

[kannan infratech]

Originally Posted by staravindan

isnt it funny......all thses regulation are chennai specific.... no highrise ...etc....

if they are so regulation conscious wht about those illegal const on the banks of coovum n adyar river. anybody after visiting these places will be confused does all these regulation exist ....n..if so implemented

All major cities have DCRs (Development Control Rules) and it is not Chennai specific.

Pl read CMDA DCR for any clarification.

Violation and Punishment is the issue here. CMDA has been made tooth less by deliberate under staffing and political interference.

The irony is that CMDA was made in charge of the MRTS - which has totally violated the CRZ rules and the entire alignment is inside a waterway. Very Myoscopic policy.

High Rise in Chennai had a specific issue wrt Maritime Radar and we discussed this threadbare many times. Now the same is being replaced by a few Doppler Radars at various locations to have a seamless service.

Hiranandani in OMR & Oragadam both have got 100m height clearance.

If we do not follow DCR, Chennai will be raped beyond redemption - much worse compared to present day levels.