Vece Paes, Olympic hockey medallist and father of Leander Paes, passes away

Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey player and the father of 1996 Olympics bronze medallist tennis great Leander Paes, passed away following prolonged illness at a Kolkata hospital early on Thursday (August 14, 2025), according to Hockey Bengal (HB) sources.

The sports icon was suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. He was 80 and is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

Born in 1945, Paes presented a rare combination of two professions as a medical practitioner who excelled in hockey. He was born in 1945 in Goa and played hockey at the school and college levels. He was an energetic centre-half whose career coincided with another legendary centre-half — 1975 World Cup-winning captain Ajit Pal Singh.

He was a medical student when he was selected for the Indian team and made his international debut at the Hamburg International Cup in 1966. He also played for prominent clubs, including Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

Archive image of Leander with his father Dr. Vece Paes, after winning 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 friend and 1964 Olympics gold medallist Gurbux Singh said.

“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 worked as a medical doctor and a sports science expert, providing assistance to not only his illustrious son but also to other prominent athletes from tennis, football and cricket. He worked as a medical consultant with the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Davis Cup team. His exemplary work, managing anti-doping education programmes at the BCCI and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is highly appreciated.

He once famously said, “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 a regular at all HB events, including the Beighton Cup, in the city and kept in touch with the sport until he fell ill.

Hockey India president and former India captain Dilip Tirkey said, “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.”