Dr. Vece Paes, 1972 Olympic Hockey Medallist, Dies at 80
Dr. Vece Paes, a key midfielder in the Indian hockey team that won a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, has passed away in Kolkata at age 80. Also the father of tennis legend Leander Paes, he was a multi-talented sportsman who also played football and rugby. After his hockey career, he became a distinguished sports medicine doctor, serving as a consultant for the BCCI and the Indian Davis Cup team, contributing significantly to Indian sports for decades.
Unpacked:
Dr. Vece Paes was a key midfielder for the Indian hockey team and played a pivotal role in their performance, helping India defeat the Netherlands 2-1 in the play-off to secure the bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Beyond playing, Dr. Paes was a distinguished sports medicine doctor and administrator, serving as a consultant to major sports bodies such as the BCCI and Indian Davis Cup team, and pioneering anti-doping and athlete fitness programs in India.
Dr. Vece Paes’s wife, Jennifer Paes, was a former basketball player, and his son, Leander Paes, is an Olympic bronze medalist in tennis, making the Paes family prominent contributors to Indian sports across generations.
Dr. Paes also played football, rugby, and cricket at a divisional level, and served as president of both the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club and the Indian Rugby Football Union (1996–2002).