“As a community, we can come together and 100 percent build an Olympic champion from Goa,” said Indian tennis legend Leander Paes, who further stated that he is considering opening an academic sports school in Goa in the next 18 months to aid in this endeavour.
Speaking at a Meet-and-Greet event hosted by Niraj N. Prabhu and Nishad Shevde at the B.P.S Sports Club in Margao on the sidelines of the ongoing Baale BPS Open 2025 tennis tournament, Atlanta 1996 Olympics bronze medallist Paes said his goal is to empower the youth with access to sporting facilities that also factor in mental, emotional and physical well-being.
“Even after 40 years of playing professional tennis, my passion is to empower the youth through sport, to take up an Olympic sport, mainly tennis, and create training centres for the youth, where they can not only play in professional playing arenas, but also get knowledge of sports science,” stated Paes.
18-time Grand Slam winner, Paes hailed his paternal family legacy and the family bond in emphasising the Goan trait that has been an intrinsic part of his personality. “It is very important to look after your family and maintain the bonds that are so natural in South Goa,” he asserted while also lamenting the drifting away of the young generation influenced by social media and peer pressure.
Paes, one of Goa’s most treasured sporting icons as his father Vece Paes hails from South Goa, highlighted the innate family-oriented spirit of Goa that shaped him into the sportsman he is today, and is fueling his drive to encourage children to take up sports professionally.
“As much as some of us have had to travel because of our education, work and our sport, because of the facilities, infrastructure and knowledge we need to avail to become an Olympic champion, our hearts are always at home. My roots, upbringing, flavours of the cuisine I prefer, fashion, heart and mind will always be that of a Goan boy,” expressed Paes, who dedicated his International Tennis Hall of Fame Medal to Goans.
Paes offered tennis enthusiasts and young players advice on how to succeed in the sport, saying: “I have lost 74.3 percent of every tennis match I have played, and have won only 25.7 percent. The key message is that in life, you may lose more than you win, but make your wins count”.
Paes is the most decorated male tennis player in Asian Games history with 5 Golds and 3 Bronzes winning medals in every category (singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team event) and the highest Indian gold medal winning athlete across all sports in Asian Games history.
The meet-and-greet event, was attended by a big number of tennis enthusiasts. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, president of the B.P.S Sports Club, Yogiraj Kamat, sports chairman of B.P.S Sports Club, Vikram Verlekar, along with other committee members and organisers of the Baale BPS Open 2025, were also present.
