In a country like India where even the National Sport(Hockey) shambles and the whole sporting scenario dominated by the cricket. It is tough marketing other sports but still Chess is one of the games which has been constantly been taken up by more and more young kids in India but the corporate sponsorship for Chess is limited to few companies like AAI,LIC,BPCL,Parsvnath etc etc..
This World Championship would be a good start to market the game in a big way in India. Few possible ways of marketing would be advertising about the match in few in all types of media. Also relaying the games live fully in television with commentary by our home grown top grandmasters like K.Sasikaran, P.Harikrishna also the organizers can setup chess boards and pieces in parks,restaurants so that the ones who knew the game can enjoy playing it at their own leisure.
When cricketers are dressed from head to heel sporting various brands even chess players can do but for that the companies should come forward to do so which is possible even if some of those above changes. Conducting small tournaments or exhibition matches by grandmasters during the course of the main championship would also help to catch more eyeballs view this game.
Many say chess can't be marketed because it's a slow game and you can't understand the game if you don't know the basics which is not the case with cricket. FIDE has constantly been reducing the time control and now we have rapid as well blitz time control. Rapid is nothing but 20-20 cricket and blitz is 5-5 cricket :)
Signing off is K.Priyadharshan, excited to the core about the match between Anand and Gelfand
Chess lovers in Tamilnadu should join to make this a success and a memorable event of our times..
ReplyDeleteNot only chess lovers of Tamilnadu but Corporates, Educationlists,Thinkers,Doctors and Mind game lovers, each Indian should make use of this event and give wide publicity and be proud.
ReplyDeletePeople from all walks should make it as grand as the Cricket World Cup :)
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