NEW DELHI: Olympic medalist and former ace tennis star Leander Paes on Thursday expressed his ambition to serve the nation and empower the youth after he formally entered the political arena, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday.
In a self-made video shared on X, Paes reflected on his journey from the streets of Kolkata to the international tennis stage, saying, “In the early part of my life, I studied at La Martiniere Kolkata. I learned my tennis at South Club and my baba played field hockey for Mohun Bagan in the Maidan of Kolkata. That’s where I found my passion to play for our people, the spirit for the Tiranga.”
Paes recounted his move to Madras (now Chennai) in 1986 to further his studies at Madras Christian College, while honing his tennis skills.
“On the 12th of May, 1986, I moved to Madras, furthering my studies at the Madras Christian College and honing my skills as a tennis player. I grew up playing gully cricket and gully football in the streets of India and from there I worked my way into the Royal Box of Wimbledon and into the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” he added.
Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister, Paes said, “It is my good fortune that I am getting the opportunity to work under the leadership of Narendra Modi ji today. I am grateful to him for this. I believe the time is right for people like myself to take position to serve our people, to empower the youth, to create opportunities for them. I feel it is time to take Bharat and India and make it a superpower. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.”
