Do you think taht to be good in chess you need to start at an early age?

I'm 16 and I fear that I'm too "old" to become a good player.

You're not too old to be good, but too old to be great.

i am 26.. can i start playing now and be great player ??

if yes what should I do to achieve tht ?

You got your answer here.

Good news is there are many sports you can become great at. For instance, bodybuilding. I'm sure there are lots out there. 

thats bad... :(

can i be just as good as a maybe 1600 - 1700 rated player ?

Of course. I meant at the top, elite level really. Depends on your definitions. But of course you can be 1700, and a lot higher.

thts comforting !

but m afraid there are no chess coaches who take up beginners of my age (where I live)

but still i love the game and play mindlessly on chess.com :P

This is a question for neuroscientists, not chess players. The reason why some of the best players in history rule chess at a young age is because the developing brain is extremely plastic. It's forming and solidifying many connections during this period, and so when one inundates themselves with chess they devote a large amount of brain structure towards building networks dedicated to processing information about the game. 

Adults on the otherhand have much more developed brains and they are nowhere near as plastic, but they still are PLASTIC and will be able to learn and aquire new information efficiently. Do I think you could be a world champion? Probably not, but that's not only because of the limitations in brain plasticity. It's also because as you get older, you have more responsibilites in life and cannot dedicate 100% of your time to chess. Kids have the benefit of being able to spend most of their time playing games.