Viswanathan Anand to remain brand ambassador of NIIT

New Delhi: His failure to defend the world title notwithstanding, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand will continue to be the brand ambassador of premier IT education institute NIIT.

Anand, a five-time world champion, lost the crown to Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen last week in the match conducted in his home city of Chennai. The setback triggered speculation that Anand would be dropped as brand ambassador of NIIT, a brand he has promoted for quite a few years.

But NIIT Chairman Rajendra S Pawar said the iconic Grandmaster would remain on board. "We salute Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, for placing India prominently on the world chess map. A true sporting legend and a national hero, Anand continues to inspire young Indians to embrace the game of chess," he said in a statement.

"Anand has made chess a national movement by initiating 1.65 million students into the game of Chess through our joint initiative -- the NIIT MindChampions' Academy. Together, NIIT and Anand will continue to work towards taking Indian chess to greater heights," he added.