Jul 22, 2024 01:26 PM IST
Watch: Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj fight tears after being inducted into tennis hall of fame
Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj, two of the most succesfull Indian tennis players of all time, were seen fighting tears as they were inducted into the International Hall of Fame. They are the first two players from Asia to be accorded the honour. While 51-year-old Paes was honoured in the ‘Player Category’, Amritraj, 70, was inducted in the ‘Contributor Category’.
Both Paes and Amritraj could be seen fighting tears in a video of them taking a walk through the museum at the Hall of Fame in Newport, USA. “It is hard to put emotions into words. The journey that I started back playing street cricket and football in the streets of Kolkata to now standing here in the Hall of Fame,” Paes. Among the memorabilia on display is the bronze medal that he won at the 1996 Olympics and the racquet that he used during the match which he had won to clinch the medal.
It was India’s first medal at the Olympics in 16 years and Paes was the first individual medallist from the country since 1952. “Paes was inducted in the Player Category, while Amritraj and Evans were recognised as a part of the Contributor Category: honoring visionary leaders, pioneers, or individuals who have made a consummate impact on the sport. The three inductees brings the total to 267 legends from 28 nations represented in the Hall of Fame,” said the International Tennis Hall of Fame statement.
Paes spent 37 weeks at No. 1 in the world rankings in doubles, and won 54 doubles titles on tour. He is one of only three men in tennis history to capture a career Grand Slam in both disciplines. Paes, who hails from Kolkata, competed in seven straight Olympic Games between Barcelona, 1992 to Rio, 2016, the most in tennis history.
Amritraj, meanwhile, is one of the most succesfull Indian singles players of all time. reached the men’s singles quarterfinals at the Wimbledon and US Open twice each besides guiding India to the Davis Cup finals twice — in 1974 and 1987. At his peak, he was ranked No.18 in the world in singles and No. 23 in doubles. Amritraj was a key member of two Indian squads that qualified for the Davis Cup final – in 1974, when the country didn’t play against South Africa due to its apartheid policy, and in 1987, when it lost the final to Sweden.