Kolkata: Dr Vece Paes, a member of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games bronze-winning Indian men’s hockey team and father of legendary tennis player Leander Paes, died here on Thursday morning owing to age-related ailments. He was 80.
Paes, who was also suffering from Parkinson’s disease, was admitted to the Woodlands Hospital here on Tuesday morning.
His last rites will be performed either on Monday or Tuesday, as the family will wait for the arrival of his two daughters, who are both settled abroad.
He was married to Jennifer, a former India basketball team captain. Paes, who donned multiple hats in his long association with Indian sports, was a midfielder in the Indian hockey team.
Born in Goa in April, 1945, Paes was exceptional in both sports and academics and following his successful stint with hockey, he became a sports medicine doctor.
He went on to work as a consultant with several sports bodies including the Asian Cricket Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Indian Davis Cup team.
Paes was also a member of the Indian hockey team that won a bronze medal at the 1971 World Cup in Barcelona but the Olympics medal a year after was the biggest moment of his career. After bidding adieu to his hockey career, Paes served as the team doctor of the Indian Davis Cup team for a decade and was also
Leander’s manager.