CHENNAI, April 6: It is debatable whether there would have been so much hoopla over the Gold Flake Tennis, or, indeed, even ITC's involvement to such an extent in this venture, had Leander Paes given up the sport in 1993.It was a phase in his then blossoming career when the debts mounted, and he was not making much of a headway as a professional. ``For instance, we owed Gene Mayer, Leander's coach, something like 1.25 lakh dollars. There were no sponsors and as Leander had been playing tennis since he was 14, he was frustrated with everything and just wanted to give up,'' recounted Leander's father, Dr Vece Paes, the 1972 hockey Olympian, in a chat with The Indian Express, here today.``But then, things turned around and we are now comfortable,'' said Vece, emphasising his relief with an audible sigh. ``I don't think I want to go through with it again. And if I may, I wouldn't advise Indian parents to put their children in an individual sport like tennis. I don't think India can produce a worldchampion simply because we cannot afford it.''Several years ago, Vece, on a visit to Bangalore, had said he was on the verge of throwing in the towel. ``Tell me, where are the sponsors ? I mean, everyone wants a champion, but no one wants to pay for it,'' he had cried out in utter disgust.And now, the good doctor's life seems to have turned on its head. ``I was looking forward to a life as a semi-retired doctor, and just at that moment, Lee burst forth. Everything changed. Leander was feeling insecure at that point, but somehow, we got through that rough period.''So, what kept Vece going despite the financial crisis ? ``You are pushed by his enthusiasm and talent of the kid, though there were times when we were scared by the costs. I think, the Indian system is too tough to do it the second time,'' said Vece as he awaited his first call in the players' Medical Room at the sun-soaked Nungambakkam Stadium.Leander's 1997 prize-money earnings touched 6.5 lakh dollars, the father disclosed, but then, aproblem of the physical kind began to surface. Injuries seem to run down the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bronze medallist, climaxing with him to miss the Davis Cup tie against Italy last week.Vece had stated once that he would like to see Leander `peak' when he is past 25 years of age. ``I don't want my son to be burnt out by the time he is 22 or 23,'' the father had said. At that time, he had targetted a top-10 ranking in singles.``I think, Leander has reached his potential in doubles, but is two years late in singles. Now that he turns 25 in a couple of weeks' time, I would say a ranking in the top-50 would be a more realistic target. Of course, after that, anything is possible. He might find the motivation to go for a even higher ranking,'' Vece reasoned.On injuries to Leander, Vece said: ``You got to realise that Leander is a small man playing a big man's game. In the next two years, we plan to make him play in short bursts, like three weeks of competition followed by two weeks of rest. Otherwise, hewouldn't be able to play for long with his style of game.''
