Dr. Vece Paes, a member of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games bronze-winning Indian men’s hockey team and father of legendary tennis player Leander Paes, died in Kolkata on Thursday (August 14, 2025) morning. He was 80 years old.

Paes, who was suffering from advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease, was admitted to the Woodlands Hospital here on Tuesday morning.

Paes was married to Jennifer, a former Indian basketball player who also served as the national team captain.

Archive image of Leander with his father Dr. Vece Paes, after winning the Olympic medal in tennis in 1996
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From The Hindu Archives

Paes’ last rites will be performed either on August 18 or 19, as the family will wait for the arrival of his daughters, who are both settled abroad.

Impact on multiple sports

Paes, who donned multiple hats in his long association with Indian sports, was a midfielder in the Indian hockey team. He also played several sports such as football, cricket and rugby and served as the president of the Indian Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 2002.

A sports medicine doctor, he worked as a medical consultant with several sports bodies including the Asian Cricket Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Indian Davis Cup team.

His son, Leander, took Indian sports to great heights, becoming the most successful tennis player in the country’s history by winning 18 Grand Slam titles, including eight men’s doubles and 10 mixed doubles crowns.

Leander also won the men’s singles bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, thus keeping the family tradition alive of winning a medal at the quadrennial showpiece.