All posts tagged: Leander

Leander Paes Slams TMC Over Messi’s Chaotic Kolkata Tour as He Joins BJP

Leander Paes Slams TMC Over Messi’s Chaotic Kolkata Tour as He Joins BJP

Published by Parlour News

4 min readKolkataUpdated: Apr 4, 2026 04:48 PM IST Days after joining the BJP, tennis legend Leander Paes on Saturday slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for its handling of the Lionel Messi GOAT tour in December 2025, saying that the manner in which the Argentine football great was treated was “sad and disrespectful”. He also alleged that West Bengal lacks infrastructure for sports other than cricket and football. “It is a sad feeling that Messi faced so much disrespect—that was very wrong. If Dada Sourav Ganguly or his brother Snehasish Ganguly had handled it, they would have protected him and the name of the state. If a player had been made the sports minister, this would not have happened,” Paes, who was with the TMC earlier, said, speaking in Bengali and Hindi. Messi’s appearance in Kolkata had ended in chaos and confusion with angry fans vandalising the stadium. Paes also spoke about his identity, saying he feels hurt when people question whether he is Bengali. “My name is not Sourav Ganguly, but I am …

Olympic medallist Leander Paes joins BJP ahead of West Bengal elections

Olympic medallist Leander Paes joins BJP ahead of West Bengal elections

Published by Webster

Indian tennis legend and the 1996 Olympics bronze medallist Leander Paes joined the country’s ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) ahead of the West Bengal elections on Tuesday. Paes joined the party in presence of senior BJP leaders, including former Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in Delhi. This is not Paes’ first stint in politics. Though he didn’t contest, he had joined West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021 and had campaigned for the party in the 2022 Goa elections. The latest development comes after Paes meeting with BJP President Nitin Nabin in Kolkata last week set off speculations. The BJP is looking to end the Mamata Banerjee led TMC’s 15-year long reign in West Bengal with the state set to undergo polls from 23 to 29 April next month. A former world No 1 and 18 times Grand Slam winner, Paes is widely regarded as the greatest Indian tennis player of all time. Paes is not the first athlete to enter politics ahead of the West Bengal elections. Former Asian Games gold medallist heptathlete Swapna …

Aus Open: Leander Paes’s memories of the Happy Slam – ‘Playing alongside likes of Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis unthinkable for young boy from Calcutta’ | Tennis News

Aus Open: Leander Paes’s memories of the Happy Slam – ‘Playing alongside likes of Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis unthinkable for young boy from Calcutta’ | Tennis News

Published by Webster

Australian Open 2026 is breaking attendance records as fans and tennis lovers come through the turnstiles despite the severe heat being experienced in Melbourne. It is often referred to as the ‘Happy Slam’ and Indian tennis legend Leander Paes has no shortage of happy memories from his playing days in the Victorian sporting capital. “It’s called the Happy Slam for a reason. Australian fans are very sports-loving and generally very friendly. It was always a pleasure playing at the Australian Open,” Paes told The Indian Express. The winner of 18 Grand Slam titles in men’s and mixed doubles and four at the year-end ATP Tour finals as well as an Olympic medal in singles, Paes is considered one of the greatest players in his discipline in the history of the sport. He has experienced great highs on some of the revered courts in the game, and has partnered some of the greats of the game, including compatriots Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza. Four of his Grand Slam titles – one in men’s doubles and three …

TPL 2025: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi spotted together on court

TPL 2025: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi spotted together on court

Published by Webster

Day 4 of the Tennis Premier League, Powered by Clear Premium Water and official Equipment partner Yonex Sunrise, carried a wave of nostalgia as Indian tennis icons Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi appeared together on the league’s charcoal grey court. Paes attended as the Brand Ambassador of GS Delhi Aces, while Bhupathi was present in support of SG Pipers Bengaluru, owned by SG Sports, where he serves as CEO. The duo, who won three Grand Slam titles together and rose to World No. 1 as a pair, have long supported the league and were in attendance on the fourth day of Season 7. Sharing his excitement, Paes said, “It’s wonderful to be in Ahmedabad. The weather is fantastic to start with, and to see the extravagance of the Tennis Premier League here is part of a dream to expand and popularise tennis throughout the country.” “I am very grateful to Sania, Rohan, Mahesh, and all the stars who support the league. When you look at the players, we have managed to bring together juniors, professionals, …

Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, and Leander Paes join the government’s sports advisory panel

Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, and Leander Paes join the government’s sports advisory panel

Published by Webster

The Indian government has set up a 17-member Sports Experts Advisory Committee, led by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, to oversee various aspects of athlete development, selection transparency, and coaching evaluation. This initiative aims to improve India’s sporting ecosystem by bringing in former athletes and experts to guide the process. Key embers and their roles The committee features three Olympic medallists—legendary boxer Mary Kom, badminton star Saina Nehwal, and tennis icon Leander Paes—as key advisors. Union Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse will serve as the vice chairperson, while the Sports Secretary or Joint Secretary will act as the convenor. Other notable members include Shiny Abraham (Athletics), Heena Sidhu (Shooting), Zafar Iqbal (Hockey), and Armando Colaco (Football), along with representatives from various sports. Committee objectives The primary goals of the Sports Experts Advisory Committee are: Identifying and grooming young talent at the sub-junior and junior levels Ensuring fair and transparent selection of national teams Evaluating national and foreign coaches and their impact on athlete performance Monitoring India’s performance in international competitions Resolving athlete grievances with …

Who are tennis legend Jim Courier’s favourite cricketers? Sunny Gavaskar and … ahem … I have seen Leander and Bhupathi play cricket | Cricket News

Who are tennis legend Jim Courier’s favourite cricketers? Sunny Gavaskar and … ahem … I have seen Leander and Bhupathi play cricket | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Tennis legend Jim Courier revealed his favourite cricketers and explained why does he feel that cricket and tennis are similar sport. “I am a new fan coming in to see cricket live, but I’ve been watching cricket just as a spectator ever since I started playing tennis,” he told reporters on the opening day of the fifth Test match between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground “I would come to Australia or come to England. “I’m not a super fan by any means, but it’s a game that I admire because you have these incredible athletes that dedicate their life to it. “I feel connected to that because that’s the way that I’ve felt about tennis. It’s sort of like a game recognises game, if you know what I mean.” When asked about who is his favourite cricketer, the 54-year-old, who is in Sydney for the United Cup, said: “I got to sit next to Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) today, which was pretty amazing.” “My favourite Indian cricket player is Leander Paes. Yeah, because …

“Circle Of Life”: India Tennis Great Leander Paes Gives Candid Answer Current Struggles

“Circle Of Life”: India Tennis Great Leander Paes Gives Candid Answer Current Struggles

Published by Webster

The legendary Leander Paes on Wednesday lamented the decline of Indian tennis, describing it as part of the “circle of life” while emphasising the need for patience. The Indian team endured a 0-4 defeat against Sweden in its Davis Cup World Group I tie recently, which relegated them to the play-off stage for the upcoming year. “Like anything in life, when you go up, you have to come down, and then you come back up again. I am a big believer in the circle of life,” the former world No 1 in doubles said. “I think we all need to have a little bit of patience as far as tennis goes. We have all enjoyed such an upswing over the last 40 years, proving that we can be number one in both women’s doubles and men’s doubles.” Currently, Sumit Nagal is the only Indian player in the top 100 of the ATP men’s singles rankings, positioned at 83, while Ramkumar Ramanathan follows at 332. At 44 years, Rohan Bopanna remains the flag-bearer of …

Leander Paes, Shrachi Group enter into partnership to build sports infrastructure in Kolkata

Published by Webster

Tennis legend Leander Paes and Shrachi Sports Ventures (SSV) entered into a strategic collaboration with an ambition to create an Olympic-level infrastructure in Kolkata with state-of-the-art training facilities under top coaches and systems with structured modules for various age groups across multiple disciplines. This will be India’s first such multi-sports set-up, complete with sports science, analytics, sports medicine and nutrition. “I’m excited about the Shrachi collaboration to create an ecosystem using sport for life, building tomorrow’s India and creating jobs for more Indians,” said Leander, who has won 20 Grand Slam titles in his glittering career. Shrachi Group’s big-bang entry into sports, Managing Director Rahul Todi, who is also the vice-president of East Bengal Club, said, “Our goal is simple. We want Bengal to be at the forefront of the Indian sports movement and Leander as our captain in this initiative. We are extremely happy to have him on board and we are convinced he is just the right person to take our projects to fruition so that we can create a clutch of sustainable …

Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj Become First Asian Men To Be Inducted In International Tennis Hall Of Fame

Published by Webster

Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes and broadcaster and promoter Vijay Amritraj of India have become the first Asian men to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Besides the duo, renowned journalist and writer Richard Evans have also been elected in the Ultimate Honour in Tennis. Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles, has been selected in the player category, while Amritraj and United Kingdom’s Evans are inductees in the contributor category, which is considered for election every two years. The contributor category recognises true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals/groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport. The Class of 2024 will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday in Newport, Rhode Island. Paes, Amritraj and Evans will join an elite group of 264 inductees from 27 nations – with India set to become the 28th nation represented in the Hall of Fame. “It has been my life’s honour to play for my country for over three decades in a …

Kim Sharma deletes Instagram pics with Leander Paes amid break up rumours | Bollywood

Published by Webster

Kim Sharma and Leander Paes, who have been together for quite some time, have reportedly parted ways. Amid rumours of their break up, Kim deleted their couple’s pictures from her Instagram account. However, Leander’s profile still reflects their happy moments. Also read: Kim Sharma celebrates mom’s 80th birthday with Leander Paes in Goa Kim Sharma and Leander Paes might have parted ways after more than a year of dating. Kim and Leander Paes were to mark their second anniversary last month. However, neither of them shared posts on Instagram. Currently, only one post shared by Kim features Leander. It dates back to Kim’s mother’s 80th birthday celebration. Leander had joined Kim and her family in Goa for the bash. The post reads, “My Mama turned #80 what a celebration of a life loved so gracefully thank you to my friends and mums friends that came to be with us and made every moment warm and fun @olivegoa @theprojectcafegoa @mojigao @design_quest thank you for being our perfect party partners we love you guys . Mum I’m …