Former Indian hockey player Dr Vece Paes, father of tennis star Leander Paes, passed away at the age of 80 at a private hospital in Kolkata on Thursday.
Dr Paes was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday with multi-organ dysfunction due to lower respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract infections. According to the hospital, he had been under its home care services for the past ten months as a long-term patient of Parkinson’s disease, and had been bed-bound for an extended period.
“Despite the best medical efforts, Dr Paes breathed his last in the early hours of August 14, 2025,” the hospital said in a statement.
Born in Goa in 1945, Dr Paes studied a pre-medical course at Presidency College in Kolkata from 1964-65, and had earlier attended La Martiniere College in Lucknow. He began his medical practice at NRS Medical College and Woodlands Hospital in the 1960s.
A member of the Indian hockey team that won bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics, Dr Paes also played football, cricket, and rugby, and served as president of the Indian Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 2002. In addition, he worked as a medical consultant with the Asian Cricket Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and the Indian Davis Cup team.
Family sources said his last rites will be held on Monday or Tuesday, as the family is waiting for the arrival of his daughters from abroad.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed condolences on social media: “Saddened by the demise of Dr Vece Paes, member of the bronze medal winning team at the 1972 Olympic Games. His contribution to hockey and sports medicine will be remembered. My condolences to his family, including Leander, his friends and the members of the many clubs of Kolkata he was associated with.”
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Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari also posted: “It is with a heavy heart I received the sad news of the passing of Dr. Vece Paes, a true icon of Indian sports and an Olympic Bronze Medallist in Hockey at the 1972 Munich Games. Dr Paes, who left us at the age of 80, was not only a stellar athlete but also a pioneering Sports Medicine Expert whose contributions shaped Indian sports.”
“As the father of tennis legend Leander Paes, he was part of a rare father-son duo who both won Olympic medals, bringing immense pride to our nation. His work with the Asian Cricket Council, BCCI, and the Indian Davis Cup team, along with his leadership as President of the Indian Rugby Football Union, left an indelible mark on sports administration and medicine. I mourn the loss of this remarkable soul whose legacy will continue to inspire generations,” Adhikari continued in his post.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
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