Dr Vece Paes, Olympic medallist and father of tennis great Leander, dies

Dr Vece Paes, father of legendary tennis player Leander Paes, and an Olympic medallist himself, died due to age-related ailments in Kolkata on Thursday. He was 80.

Paes had Parkinson's disease and had been admitted to the Woodlands Hospital on Tuesday. His last rites will be performed next week.

Vece Paes was a member of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games bronze-winning Indian men's hockey team and was married to former Indian basketball team captain Jennifer.

Besides playing as a midfielder in the Indian hockey team, Vece Paes played several other sports such as football, cricket and rugby. He also served as president of the Indian Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 2002.

After completing his successful stint in hockey, Vece Paes became a sports medicine doctor. He worked as a consultant with various sports bodies, including the Asian Cricket Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Indian Davis Cup team.

Later, he also served as team doctor of the Indian Davis Cup team and Leander's manager, playing a huge role in turning the junior into one of India's finest tennis players.

Leander won the men's singles bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, following in the footsteps of his father, who bagged an Olympic bronze himself.

Paes also played for the hockey teams of Kolkata football giants Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting during the '70s and '80s. He worked with the East Bengal football team comprising icons such as Bhaichung Bhutia.
(With PTI inputs)