'You Are a Real Fool' - How Vece Paes' Anger at Son Leander For Quitting Football Led to Him Embarking on Legendary Tennis Career

Legendary Indian Olympian Dr. Vece Paes, who was part of the 1972 Olympics Indian hockey team that lifted a bronze medal, was not the only notable Olympian in his family. After all, his wife Jennifer represented India in the same Olympics in basketball - and their son Leander Paes also an Olympic medal winner, getting bronze at the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta, USA. 

However, Paes also excelled in other sports and could have had a very different career as he was a good football player in his youth. 

Much to the surprise of his father, he gave up on the sport - and he revealed his motivation behind the shock decision. 

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Why Paes Ditched Football

Such was the talent Paes had that he was actually playing in a football academy in Europe and was playing so well that aged 11, he was part of the U-17 side. 

"Baba was very upset that I had given up football. I was at an European football academy, I was there for seven months, they had picked me up in their playing XI. I was just 11-years-old and I was playing for the U-17 junior academy," he said on an episode of Republic Legends. 

However, he left the sport behind when he realised that his main dream - winning an Olympic medal like his father - would not happen in that arena. 

"But then when I came back from the academy, my genetics are very similar to my mother. So when it came to football, the practicality of it was that India wasn't even making it to the Asian Championships. My only dream, as a young boy growing up was to emulate my father, to prove to Indians that we can be Olympic champions."

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Why Did He Choose Tennis?

Initially he had no clue what he would do after quitting the sport but, based on a gut feeling, picked tennis. 

"So when I came back home, Baba was very upset with me and he said that you are a real fool for giving up football, you are so talented at it. What are you going to do now? So, I have a bit of rebel streak in me and when baba asked me, I had no reply. I was looking around the dining room. I said on intuition that I want to play tennis."

It was a decision that worked - he won his coveted Olympic medal as well as 18 Grand Slams in the doubles format, 10 in mixed doubles and 8 in men's doubles.