The Indian sporting world mourns the loss of Dr. Vece Paes, an Olympic bronze medalist in hockey and a renowned sports medicine expert, who passed away at the age of 80. Paes, father of tennis legend Leander Paes, succumbed to advanced-stage Parkinson’s disease in a Kolkata hospital. Born in Goa in April 1945, he excelled in multiple sports, including hockey, football, cricket, and rugby, before transitioning to a successful medical career. He was a key member of the Indian hockey team that secured a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Beyond his playing days, Paes became a respected sports medicine expert, advising athletes and sports organizations on injury prevention, rehabilitation, and mental readiness. He also served in sports administration, including the Indian Rugby Football Union, leaving a lasting impact on Indian sports. Paes’s legacy is one of athletic achievement, medical expertise, and unwavering dedication to the sports he loved, fostering a sporting family that achieved greatness.
