We All Know Vece Paes Is Tennis Icon Leander Paes' Father. But Are You Aware He's A Hockey Olympic Medallist And A Doctor Of Sports Medicine As Well?

The name Leander Paes is no stranger to us. He has done India proud on the tennis court for the last 3 decades. Of course, if you have heard of him, one would know about his father Dr. Vece Paes. But there is more to him than what meets the eye. While being Leander's father is of course a source of pride, he is much more than just that.

As the title before his name suggests, Vece is a certified doctor of sports medicine. The man is an expert in his craft and knows how to deal with injuries of sportspersons. Of course that is because Vece himself was a sportsperson. Yes, the father of our tennis icon played India's most popular game at that time, a sport we used to dominate at one point. Yes, we are talking of hockey.

Vece was a midfielder in the Indian hockey team. He was part of the side which won bronze at the 1972 Olympics. So there you have it, the man is an Olympic medallist. 24 years later, his son too would win a tennis medal when he clinched bronze. Now that is called taking a legacy forward.

The man is not just a father of a sportspersons, he is also the husband of a former basketball player. His wife Jennifer Paes, who was born Jennifer Dutton, represented India in the 1972 Olympics and was also the captain of the basketball team in 1982. She comes from a famous bloodline in Bengal. Her great grandfather is the renowned Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt.

Vece's expertise in sports medicine has seen him hold various important posts and it was his encouragement that pushed Leander into becoming a tennis player as well. So the man is not just a talent in himself, but a producer of one. Working on the sidelines, he is always doing his part to nurture future athletes for the country.

So there you have it, he is much more than just Leander's father. The son may hog the limelight now, but the father had his day under the sun.