Former Indian hockey player and Olympic bronze medallist Dr. Vece Paes died at 80 after battling Parkinson’s. He and his son, tennis legend Leander Paes, made history as India’s first father-son duo to win Olympic medals in different sports.
Former India Olympic bronze-medalist in hockey and sports medicine expert, Dr. Vece Paes, breathed his last in Kolkata on Thursday, August 14. Paes was 80 at the time of passing. Vece Paes was the father of a former Indian tennis legend and 18-time Grand Slam champion, Leander Paes.
Vece Paes was battling with Parkinson’s and was at the advanced stage of the disease when he was admitted to a Kolkata hospital after his health began to deteriorate on August 12, Tuesday. The former Indian hockey player was part of the team that won the bronze medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics, defeating the Netherlands 2-1 for the third-place finish on the podium.
Dr. Vece Paes was reportedly battling with Parkinson’s disease for a long time, and his condition had progressively worsened in recent months, ultimately leading to hospitalization earlier this week. However, despite medical care, he could not recover and passed away on Thursday.
Vece Paes and his Leander achieved a rare feat in Indian Sports
Vece Paes was a well-known figure in Indian sports, having represented India at the Olympics and serving Indian hockey with distinction before his son, Leander Paes, carried on carried the family’s Olympic legacy forward in tennis.
When Vece Paes won his maiden Olympic medal at the 1972 Olympics, little did we know that over two decades, his son would win an Olympic medal of his own in a different sport. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Leander scripted history by becoming the first Indian tennis player to win an Olympic medal, clinching Bronze.
With this, the Paes duo became the first ever father-son pair in Indian history of win Olympic medals in different sports. Additionally, Vece and Leander Paes are the sixth Indian father-son duo to participate in the Olympics.
Vece Paes had represented India in hockey at the 1972 Munich Games, while Leander went on to represent the country in tennis across seven consecutive Olympics from 1992 to 2016.
Vece Paes leaves behind a rich legacy
Beyond hockey, Vece Paes was involved in other sports as a sports medicine specialist and administrator, contributing to the development of athletes across disciplines. Late. Paes served as president of the Indian Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 2002, helping and nurturing young, talented players and fostering the growth of the sport across the country.
As a doctor of sports medicine, Paes worked with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Asian Cricket Council, and the India Davis Cup Team to provide medical expertise, injury management, and fitness guidance to young athletes and enhance their performance at the highest level.
As a father, Vece Paes played a pivotal role in shaping the career of his son, Leander Paes, who went on to achieve glory for India, an Olympic bronze medal, 5 Asian Games’ Gold Medals, a Commonwealth Games bronze medal, and 18 Grand Slam titles across doubles and mixed doubles categories.
Vece Paes left behind a legacy not only as an Olympic bronze medal winner but also as a mentor, sports medicine pioneer, and administrator, who dedicated his life after retirement to help young athletes succeed at the highest levels of any sport.