"Other Sports Need To Learn From BCCI": Leander Paes Calls For Better Tennis Governance At NDTV Ignite Summit
Speaking at 'NDTV Ignite: The Future India' summit, Indian tennis legend Leander Paes spoke on building a roadmap to improve sports governance in the country.
Leander Paes is the most successful Indian tennis player of all time, having won 18 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic medal over a glittering career. However, India are going through a lean patch in tennis of late, particularly when it comes to success at the top level. Speaking at 'NDTV Ignite: The Future India' Summit, the tennis legend stated the need for better governance in tennis, suggesting that governing bodies like the All India Tennis Association (AITA) need to take inspiration from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Paes also emphasised on focusing on grassroot talent and making them Olympic-ready.
Paes said that India's lack of growth in tennis in recent years is a massive concern.
"It was a massive problem. Until about four weeks ago, the AITA was sitting in the Supreme Court, because two athletes challenged the AITA on the governance of it. For me, in a country that has sporting governance like the BCCI, other sports need to learn from the BCCI. They need to learn how one sport can become an entire movement to move the nation," Paes said.
"The talent is out there. We need good governance to recognize the talent, bring it to state academies. State academies bring it to the national academies, who then develop it to world champions," he added.
The tennis legend, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stated that he has built a roadmap to improve tennis governance in India.
"Thanks to our Sports Ministry and thanks to good governance, the AITA is now back out of the Supreme Court. Now, we are building. Today, I sit as the president of the Bengal Tennis Association. I've built a roadmap to hence bring a professionalism into tennis," Paes said.
"A professionalism where you let the lawyers do the legal, finance guys build the model, the tax guys do the taxes - audit every single station association, audit every national governing body
"But in there, in tennis, is to also bring international quality coaching systems. You can use sports science to get into the rural areas. Use the Khelo India movement. Go state-by-state recognizing talent, and then empower the state association where their academy gets funded, so that the young talent come to play," he elaborated.
"We need to get Gen-Z excited about playing sport," he concluded.