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AIFF consoles Dr Vece Paes demise

The All India Football Federation mourned Dr Vece Paes, former India hockey Olympian and noted sports medicine expert, who passed away at 80. Father of tennis star Leander Paes, he contributed significantly to AIFF’s medical programmes and Indian sports development

By Telangana Today

Published Date - 14 August 2025, 01:14 PM

Hyderabad: The All India Football Federation condoles the demise of Dr. Vece Paes, who passed away on Thursday, August 14, 2025.

Dr Paes, who served Indian sport with distinction both on and off the field, was 80 years of age.

A former India hockey midfielder, Dr. Paes was part of the national team that won the bronze medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. He was the husband of former basketball player Jennifer Paes, and father of Olympic bronze medallist tennis player Leander Paes.

In football, Dr Paes made invaluable contributions to sports medicine in India. He was Chairman of the AIFF Medical Commission from 2003 to 2006, during which he conceptualised comprehensive sports medicine programmes, sports medicine centres, training and accreditation of sports medicine teams, and propagated the Peak Performance Programme with the national teams (seniors, U19, U17 and U15), as well as various National Football League clubs.

He later served as Chairman of the AIFF Medical Committee from 2017–2020.

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