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India’s ace tennis player Leander Paes has always been India’s best hope for any prize or medal. He brought India back on the medals tally at the Olympics after winning the Bronze medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. This 39-year-old Indian veteran has won thirteen Grand Slam doubles, and mixed doubles titles. He has even achieved the rare feat of winning both the Men’s doubles, and the Mixed doubles title in Wimbledon 1999. Paes completed his career Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open Men’s doubles final in 2012, partnering with Czech Radek Stepanek.
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After Leander was teamed up with debutant Vishnu Vardhan, everybody said Leander’s chance of winning the men’s doubles medal at the London Olympics is very uncertain. Leander answered them by saying that he knows what it takes to win an Olympic medal, and he won’t get distracted by delving into people’s expectations, the negativities and the politics. Paes, said he would let his racquet do the talking instead of listening to what others are talking.
Paes admitted that he was hurt with the selection controversy after both Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna refused to play with him in the Olympics.
Leander started his Olympics journey in the year 1992. He said that he is really looking forward to his sixth Olympics, and is hoping win doubles medals with Vishnu Vardhan and Sania Mirza . In reply to the controversies he also stated that his 26 year old career has been a great journey and he is very, very blessed to have his family behind him as his support. He didn’t forget to mention his solid fan base over the world which has believed in him and his performance always.
Leander has been practicing very heard to silence every critic, and is working as a mentor for his doubles partner, Vishnu Vardhan. The tennis arena at the All England Tennis Club might work in favor of Paes as he recently played in the finals of the Mixed doubles event at Wimbledon, 2012. Having won the mixed doubles gold at Doha Asian Games with Sania Mirza, the entire country and worldwide fans will be expecting another Gold medal from the London Olympics.
We all hope that Leander will be fit and raring to go, and will silence everyone by winning the first Olympic Gold in Tennis for his country.
