Wipro 'applies thought', backs Harikrishna

By Our Sports Reporter

HYDERABAD, APRIL 20. Few sportspersons can resist the offer of chess and material support made to the world's youngest International Master, Pendyala Harikrishna, by the Wipro group. For starters, a computer notebook was handed over by Devashish Ghosh, Vice- President, Hyderabad Operations, during a press conference here on Thursday.

Mr. P. Anirudh, Corporate Brand and Marketing Manager, announced that the group was open on whether to extend the three year sponsorship programme already agreed upon and deemed sufficient for Harikrishna to become a Grand Master. Under the arrangement, all of Harikrishna's costs towards travel to international tournaments, entry fees for the same, services of Indian/foreign coaches and chess software would be taken care of by the global IT giant. The 14-year-old would decide on the tournaments he would take part in, he said.

Wipro's slogan of `applying thought' found its closest fit in chess, Anirudh said, explaining the decision to back the game and two of its world champions from the country, the first being Aarthie Ramaswamy in the women's under 18 category. He hoped that with Wipro's back-up, the chess prodigy would get enough exposure to the best competition worldwide.

After Harikrishna's mother, Mrs. Padmavati Rao, gratefully acknowledged the help received from various quarters, Mr. Ranga Rao, his grandfather, said he was proud of his progeny, who excelled in a sport remote to and far removed from rural India.

The first three years without any sponsorship were particularly tough but from thereon, thanks to newspaper reports, the CR Club in his native Chilkaluripeta and LVR and Sons Club, Guntur underwrote some of the boy's expenses. Then came the Vignan group and later Bank of Baroda, which did not reply when extension of its support was sought after the three year tie-up had lapsed.

Harikrishna's first coach V.R. Bobba, recounted how he had foretold the youngster's first global triumph and later successes, including that of eclipsing V. Anand as the youngest International Master in the world. He was confident that Harikrishna would become the youngest Grand Master too.

His career graph was only on the rise, Bobba said, comparing Harikrishna's progress to that of Wipro. He concluded by stating that without the press, there would have been no Harikrishna.

Later, answering queries of newsmen, Anirudh explained that a computer education company was using V. Anand, a household name, to promote its brand image, while Wipro's support to Harikrishna aimed at nurturing budding players. The latter was in line with the group's philosophy of promoting human values.

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