Mumbai: Dr. Vece Paes, the father of tennis player Leander, passed away. On August 14, 2025, Vece, a member of the Indian hockey team that won bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics, arrived at his celestial home.
Vece was a polymath whose accomplishments included sports management, medical invention, and physical exploits. In addition to playing divisional rugby, football, and cricket, Vece assisted the Indian hockey team in the Olympics in Munich and was the Indian Rugby Football Union’s president from 1996 to 2002.
Vece used his knowledge in medicine and athletics to become a licensed sports medicine physician. Additionally, he collaborated on anti-doping education initiatives with the BCCI and the Asian Cricket Council.
Vece served as President of one of the world’s oldest sporting clubs, the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club.
Vece wed Jennifer Dutton, a great-granddaughter of Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt and a former Indian basketball player.
Leander Paes, his son, became an Olympic tennis medallist, following in his father’s footsteps. In India, they are the only father-son team to get this honor.
Renowned figures from many walks of life voiced their sorrow and dismay at the loss of the great Vece, and they offered the Paes family support and sympathies during this difficult time by sending shockwaves around the country.
