BENGALURU: Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand and WestBridge Capital, under the umbrella of its public charitable trust, WestBridge Charitable Foundation, is set to launch a chess fellowship program by establishing the WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy (WACA).
WACA is poised to create a platform to facilitate mentorship to both established and upcoming/aspiring players with the aim to promote the sport of intellect in the country and 'pass the baton', to produce more world champions for India in chess.
The academy aims to identify deserving candidates every year, with the potential to break into the top world chess ranking, and grant fellowships to propel these young chess champs, designated as WACA Fellows, towards greater glory and milestones.
Talking about the initiative, Anand said, "Chess has made a lot of progress in the last 20 years. I think many players in the country have the potential, under the right guidance, to make it to the top ten and even become world champions. It is heartening to see firms like WestBridge come forward and support the sport to shape the future of chess in the country." (IANS)