The very well known World Champion Viswanathan Anand has managed to retain his title. Anand, born on December 11, 1969 in Chennai, is the son of 

Vishwanathan, who is now a retired general manager, Southern Railways.

His friends call him ‘Vishy’ and he learnt to play chess from his mother Susheela at the tender age of six, and since then he had developed great love for 

the game. His mother had been a great source of inspiration for him. 

Master-blaster batsman Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar said that the senior players in the Indian team must be respected for the "major contributions" they have made over the years.

Lashing out at the critics, Tendulkar said that it was up to the seniors to decide the time and place of their retirement.

Milan - A fan of Juventus was in intensive care in a Bologna hospital Thursday with a skull trauma suffered in a clash with hooligans.

Los Angeles - Portland Trail Blazers prize rookie Greg Oden can't seem to stay healthy.

Oden made his long-awaited NBA debut on Tuesday night but will now be sidelined for the next two to four weeks after suffering a right-foot injury.

The top pick in the 2007 draft, Oden missed the entire season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. The latest setback is expected to keep him out for between six and 14 games.

London - Tottenham Hotspur confirmed Thursday that they intend to press ahead with plans for the construction of a 60,000-capacity stadium near White Hart Lane.

Results released to the stock market revealed details of a large-scale plan that would also incorporate leisure facilities and housing.

"The scheme includes the current site and adjoining land with the stadium sited largely to the north of the existing one," chairman Daniel Levy explained in his statement.

The club has a waiting list of 22,000 for season-tickets, and considered a 70,000-capacity proposal, but were keen to remain close to their Haringey home.

Hamburg - Bundesliga leaders Hoffenheim will be seeking a fifth straight win when lowly Karlsruhe are the visitors on Saturday, while champions Bayern Munich are beginning to put the pressure on.

Juergen Klinsmann's side face visiting Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday following three successive wins which keep them within four points of surprise side Hoffenheim.