‘My name is not Sourav Ganguly, but I am Bengali’ – Leander Pa ...
“My name is not Sourav Ganguly, but I am Bengali and Indian” – with this one-liner tennis legend Leander Paes issued a pointed rebuke to his critics who questioned his Bengali identity. Paes, 52, had joined the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of senior party leaders, including Rijiju and cabinet colleague Sukanta Majumdar, national general secretary Arun Singh and chief spokesperson Anil Baluni.Identifying himself as a “Bengal boy”, Paes highlighted his roots in Kolkata and said the state’s youth must be given opportunities to grow within Bengal itself.
“I learned in Kolkata. I learned on the field. Kolkata has a lot of sports culture. Be it Mahanbagan, or East Bengal, or Mohammedan Sporting, or Mahindra’s Mahindra or customs. Kolkata has a lot of sports history. Just like my parents played for India. When I was born here, it was my dream to play for my country. One day, I wanted to spread the name of my country all over the world. I wanted to show that even Indians can become world beaters…,” he said.
‘PM Modi heard me and gave me a clear vision: youth and sports’
The Indian tennis legend said he has been entrusted with responsibilities related to India’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. Describing it as a key to his new role in public life, the seven-time Olympian said he would contribute towards hosting the Commonwealth Games in Gujarat.
The tennis legend said hosting the Olympics could help transform India’s sporting ecosystem and strengthen its global standing.
VIDEO | Kolkata: “PM Modi heard me and gave me a clear vision: youth and sports, I am completely aligned with his vision”, says BJP leader Leander Paes.#AssemblyPollsWithPTI#WestBengalPollsWithPTI
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/b2hHXX0d7c
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 4, 2026 “In the year 1900, Norman Pritchard, who was born in Calcutta. He was born here in Calcutta, not in England. But in the year 1900, Norman Pritchard played in the Olympics. And from year 1900, only 4 people from West Bengal have won an Olympic medal…In 100 years, what are we doing for the Olympics? What are we doing for the Asian medal? And what are we doing for the development of youth?..,” he said.
‘Sports education lies ability to build a superpower’
Drawing parallels between sporting success and economic strength, Paes noted that the top medal-winning nations at the 2024 Summer Olympics, including the US, China, Japan, Australia and Great Britain, are also among the world’s leading economies.
India should aim to achieve similar success by building a strong sporting culture and investing in infrastructure and grassroots talent development, he said.
“In sports and sports education lies the ability to build a superpower,” he said, adding that developing young athletes would be key to India’s Olympic ambitions.
Paes, who previously had an association with Trinamool Congress, also hit out at the West Bengal government over the fiasco at the Salt Lake stadium in December last year during football star Lionel Messi‘s visit to Kolkata.
The “disrespect” faced by the visiting player would not have occurred had a sportsperson been heading the sports department, the Indian tennis legend said.
With inputs from agencies
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