New Delhi: Dr Vece Paes, father of legendary Indian tennis player Leander Paes and a member of the Indian men’s hockey team that won the bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, passed away in Kolkata on Thursday. Paes was 80 and was suffering from multiple age-related ailments, which led to his demise. His last rites will be performed in Kolkata after all his family members, including his daughters, who are settled abroad, return home.
As per PTI, Paes was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and was admitted to the Woodlands Hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday. Born in Goa in April 1945, the former Indian hockey player was a meticulous student and an equally good athlete, who tried his hand at all sports. From rugby to cricket and hockey, Paes played all sorts of sports and represented the Indian hockey team.
He played as a midfielder in the Indian men’s hockey team and was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He was also part of the Indian hockey team that won the bronze medal at the 1971 World Cup in Spain. While he represented India in hockey, Paes played cricket and rugby at the divisional level. He transitioned into sports medicine after retiring from hockey as a player.
Paes worked with multiple sporting organisations, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Indian Davis Cup team in tennis as a sports medicine consultant. He served as the team doctor of the Indian David Cup team for a decade. Paes also served as the president of the Indian Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 2002.
Dr Vece Paes’ role in son Leander’s career
Being a successful athlete himself, Paes had a great influence on Leander’s tennis career. He pushed Leander to pursue a career in tennis after witnessing his talent and also served as his son’s manager in the sport. Paes played a vital role in helping Leander achieve great heights in tennis as he went on to become one of the best Indian players of all time.
Leander is the most successful Indian tennis player in history with 18 Grand Slam titles to his name. He won 10 mixed doubles and 8 men’s doubles Grand Slam titles. Paes also became the first Indian tennis player to win an Olympic medal when he clinched bronze in men’s singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also represented India in as many as seven Olympics throughout his illustrious career.
Leander has often hailed his father as his inspiration and highlighted the sacrifices he made to help him pursue a tennis career.