It was a night of elegance, nostalgia and celebration as Chennai raised a toast to one of its favourite sons, a national icon and global ambassador, all rolled into one. At the Leela Palace here on Monday, Vijay Amritraj was feted for his elevation in to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, which most among the assembled gathering felt came a touch late to a man who deserves all the accolades and more.
A tennis icon, broadcaster, actor, champion of social causes and sports administrator, Amritraj is a star of many parts. However, deep down he is a quintessential Chennai boy with academic roots in Don Bosco School and Loyola College. And this was the return of the native as the who’s who of this Southern metropolis rallied around to cherish him.
Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Youth Development and Sports Welfare Udhayanidhi Stalin effusively lauded the sporting legend to set the tone for a night of appreciation. Chess maestro Viswanathan Anand said: “Whatever I tried to do, Vijay had been there before.”
