Tennis heroes remembered

NEW DELHI, NOV 26: India remembered its tennis heroes, past and present, by honouring the current torchbearers, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, with an `achievement award’ instituted by the Asian Tennis Federation to celebrate the centenary of the Davis Cup.

At a simple ceremony here yesterday, the world’s top doubles player, Paes, was presented a silver salver and the tennis ace promised to do “anything in our capability to bring an Olympic gold” to start the new millennium on a winning note for India.

Paes, speaking after the felicitation, said he and Bhupathi were determined to win an Olympic gold at the Sydney 2000 Summer Games. “It’s one thing that we want to give to the country.”

The award for Bhupathi, who is getting medical attention for his shoulder problem in New York after the duo finished runners-up at the season-ending ATP World Doubles Championship, was accepted by his father CGK Bhupathi.