New Delhi: Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj were formally inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, making them the Asian men to get the honour.
Former top-ranked doubles player Paes and tennis broadcaster, actor and player Amritraj are the first inductees from India and they were joined by British tennis journalist and author Richard Evans.
At a glittering ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, Paes recollected his inclination towards football and hockey in his childhood before moving towards tennis in hope of emulating his Olympic medallist hockey captain father Vece Paes.
“It’s my greatest honour to be on this stage with not only these legends of the game, people who have inspired me every single day of my life — not because you’ve only won Grand Slams, not because you’ve shaped our sport but every single one of these people have shaped the world we live in,” Paes said.
“I would like to thank you so much for giving this Indian boy hope,” the 51-year-old added, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles.
Kolkata-born Paes had honed his trade in Amritraj’s academy, which he had set up in Chennai after hanging up his racquet in 1993 following an over-two decade long career in which he won 15 ATP singles titles and helping India reach the Davis Cup finals in 1974 and 1987.
Leander Paes shares some inspiring words as he is inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame 🥹 🫶
Watch his full speech here 👉 https://t.co/L8mA5vLzib pic.twitter.com/clYpGulIiE
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 21, 2024
After his retirement, the 70-year-old has had a successful broadcast career and undertaken several humanitarian initiatives in association with the ATP and WTA as well as acted in James Bond and Star Trek movies.
“I am humbled and honoured to join this incredible and exclusive group that have brought glory to our sport,” Amritraj said.
“A feeling came over me that I had never experienced. This was an honour not just for me, for my family, for my parents, but for all of my fellow Indians and my country who live around the world.”
Like Amritraj, Evans was inducted in the contributor category for his life impact on the sport.
‘Inspiration’
Paes also won an Olympics bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, beating Brazil’s Fernando Meligeni 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the third-place play-off.
He and Amritraj made India the 28th country to have their presence in the Hall of Fame.
“Playing for 1.4 billion people could either be pressure or it could be wind within your wings,” Paes said.
Martina Navratilova presents 2024 Hall of Fame inductee Leander Paes 💪
Together, Navratilova and Paes won the 2003 Wimbledon and Australian Open mixed-doubles titles 🏆 🏆 pic.twitter.com/RH1XpWdj37
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 20, 2024
“I’d like to thank every single one of my countrymen who supported me, who stood by through all the ups and downs, and we’ve been through a few, but you all were the inspiration, the support, you were even the strength to guide me through when even I didn’t believe.”
Paes made a world beating men’s doubles partnership with Mahesh Bupathi in the late 1990s and early 200s.
“As my father always said to me, if you believe in yourself, you work hard, you’ll be passionate not only to win prize money and trophies, but you do that to inspire the world,” he added.
“It has been my greatest honour to play for my countrymen in seven Olympics, to stand where the national anthem is playing in all those Davis Cups, and to prove that we Asians can win Grand Slams and also be number one in our field, be it tennis or anything.”
Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj are the first inductees from India into the International Tennis Hall of Fame Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
