Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey participant and the father of 1996 Olympics bronze medallist tennis nice Leander Paes, handed away following extended sickness at a Kolkata hospital early on Thursday (August 14, 2025), in response to Hockey Bengal (HB) sources.
The sports activities icon was affected by a sophisticated stage of Parkinson’s illness. He was 80 and is survived by his spouse, son and daughter.
Born in 1945, Paes introduced a uncommon mixture of two professions as a medical practitioner who excelled in hockey. He was born in 1945 in Goa and performed hockey on the faculty and faculty ranges. He was an lively centre-half whose profession coincided with one other legendary centre-half — 1975 World Cup-winning captain Ajit Pal Singh.
He was a medical pupil when he was chosen for the Indian group and made his worldwide debut on the Hamburg International Cup in 1966. He additionally performed for distinguished golf equipment, together with Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
Archive picture of Leander along with his father Dr. Vece Paes, after successful the Olympic medal in tennis in 1996
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From The Hindu Archives
“Vece made his debut when I was the captain. He was a great team man and played different sports, including cricket, football and rugby. We played together for Mohun Bagan for 13 years and won nine Beighton Cups and nine Calcutta League titles. He was well-built and had the energy to go up and down the field. It’s unfair that he was not selected for the 1968 Olympics, but he got his chances in the 1971 World Cup (where India bagged a bronze) and 1972 Olympics,” his long-time good friend and 1964 Olympics gold medallist Gurbux Singh mentioned.
“Vece was soft spoken and a fine gentleman. I cannot compare him with any doctor. If he gave medicine to someone, he would sit with the person and wait to see how the medicine worked.”
Dr. Paes labored as a medical physician and a sports activities science professional, offering help to not solely his illustrious son but additionally to different distinguished athletes from tennis, soccer and cricket. He labored as a medical guide with the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Davis Cup group. His exemplary work, managing anti-doping training programmes on the BCCI and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is very appreciated.
He as soon as famously mentioned, “Talent is an overrated thing… If you do your 10,000 hours from the age of 12, you will hit your peak in your 20s. You have to work hard.”
Dr. Paes was an everyday in any respect HB occasions, together with the Beighton Cup, within the metropolis and saved in contact with the game till he fell in poor health.
Hockey India president and former India captain Dilip Tirkey mentioned, “It is a sad day for us. The Olympic medal in Munich is a testament to their grit and determination. I had the good fortune of meeting him a few times and I have always been inspired by his passion for sports in general.”
