His heart beats for cricket, and every morning he wakes up fantasising about the game. Twelve-year-old Aravindh Chithambaram spends most of his time trying out different bowling styles and practising batting strokes with anything that comes to hand – he doesn’t even mind using water bottles, stones or anything else that fits his tiny hands.
But though he may be a cricketer at heart, it is the game of 64 squares that has brought him recognition and glory. He is excelling at chess and is not only the National Junior Chess Champion in the under-19 category but also second seed in the world chess rankings in the under-12 age group.
From the small town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, he grew up dreaming of becoming a cricketer and tried his best to get into an academy. But his slight build and short height denied him admission even at local level.
Chess with his grandfather
Living in a small family of three – his grandparents and mother – and having lost his father at a very early age, Aravindh always lacked company to follow his passion for cricket. But he soon found comfort on the chessboard, drawn to the game while keeping his ageing grandfather company.
“I started playing when I was eight. My grandfather was not fit enough to play cricket, and that left me with only one option: to play chess with him. Then I started playing chess at school and state level and soon started to excel. Now I train at Ghouse sir’s academy every day. I love chess, but my heart will always remain with cricket,” giggles the youngster.
Aravindh, the only son of Mrs VR Deivanai, was born 14 years after her marriage, but the boy soon lost his father, who died of a sudden heart attack. Deivanai, 51, works as an agent at a local post office and manages her household and Aravindh’s training on a meagre salary.
“I have applied for sponsorship recently. He is exempted from major expenses by the state government on the basis of his achievements, but I have to travel with him every time and it becomes very difficult for me. I love him dearly and cannot let him travel alone. For the coming World Championship in Brazil, the ticket alone would cost me around one and a half lakh rupees. I’m living for his dream because he is the only one I have,” said his emotional mother.
Seeing his passion for cricket, his mother did try to get him into an academy, but the nearest cricket academy was not a practical option, as a single parent could not take him there regularly.
“I always wanted him to play an individual sport, because then everything depends on one’s own performance. With so much politics in cricket, and with fewer academies in our district (Madurai), I ended up taking him to a nearby chess academy. He picks things up quickly and makes practical moves, which suits the game very well. As destiny would have it, he has been excelling at national and international level,” added Deivanai.
National title and an Asian medal
Earlier this year, Aravindh won the Under-19 National Junior Championship and, if things go as expected, he may become the youngest Grandmaster in the country. In his only international appearance, at the Asian Youth Championship 2011 (Under-12) in the Philippines, Aravindh brought home a silver medal.
“He is a blessed child. He was a brilliant student, and now that he has turned his attention to chess, he is excelling at that too. He believes in giving 100 per cent to whatever he does. Unlike other boys, he is quite interested in co-curricular activities as well. He sings Tamil songs pretty well,” said a family friend.
Initially, under a different coach, he used to learn chess for only an hour a week, and even with that little time he finished fourth in the state championship. For the past two years he has been training under the well-known coach Ghouse Kamardeen, who has been running his residential chess academy in Madurai for 20 years.
“He came to my academy with his mother two years ago. I tested him and found him good enough, with some flaws here and there. I used to charge Rs 300 a day, but I charged him only Rs 10,000 for 300 days, considering the family’s difficult financial situation after his father passed away. Soon after he started coaching with me, he excelled at the Asian Youth Championship 2011. He is unique and sharp but needs more polishing. I’m sure he’ll soon become a Grandmaster. I’m glad to invest my knowledge in a child like him,” said Kamardeen.
Holding so many national titles at 12 is no easy feat. The down-to-earth, calm and shy boy wants to give everything possible back to his world – his mother. He aims to become the youngest-ever Grandmaster. He sleeps, eats and talks cricket, but hopes to win more laurels on the chessboard in the years to come.
By Akshi Aggarwal
Indian Sports News
