“I'm concerned about tennis in India. We need to follow the BCCI's lead by establishing numerous tennis clubs nationwide to develop the sport further,” Leander Paes at ABP Network’s Ideas of India
“I realised in the first year of my parent’s separation that Tennis is the only vehicle that will make me a man,” Leander Paes
“The sports federations must be professionalised. Talent is not the issue, nor is funding a problem today,” Prakash Padukone
“Currently, we are competitive in sports but often miss out narrowly. We shouldn’t be satisfied with these close misses; that's how we will grow as a sporting nation,” Viswanathan Anand
“We did a study and identified boxing, badminton, wrestling, archery, shooting as the sports that should be prioritised in India. We have no chance in athletics and aquatics,” Geet Sethi
"I am concerned about tennis. Our association is being reviewed by the Supreme Court. We should learn from the BCCI's approach to cricket by adopting its system of establishing numerous cricket clubs in every region of India. We should also acknowledge Khelo India, as ₹1500 crores were allocated to it. That's not just a sports budget; that's a Khelo India budget," said Leander Paes, Indian Olympic Medalist, Grand Slam Winner, International Tennis Hall of Fame member, and Entrepreneur, Founder of Flying Man Ventures.
Speaking about his childhood journey to become a tennis player, Leander Paes said, “Being born to a Bengali mother and a Goan father, football was my first passion. I received an opportunity to join Barcelona at the age of 11, but I was asked to give up my Indian passport to continue playing football. My father laughed at me for six minutes because I chose tennis instead. I said, 'Give me 52 weeks in a tennis academy.”
Giving a peek into his personal life, Leander said, “I realised in the first year of my parent’s separation that Tennis is the only vehicle I had to become a man, which was written as the first and the last paragraph of the 100-page letter he had written for me.”
Sharing his concern on the state of Tennis, Leader Paes said, "I am concerned about tennis. Our association is currently facing the Supreme Court. We should learn from what the BCCI has done for cricket and follow its model of establishing hundreds of cricket clubs in every region of India. We should also commend Khelo India, as ₹1500 crores have been allocated for it. That's not just a sports budget; that's specifically a Khelo India budget."
Sharing his perspective on how to develop sports in India, Leander Paes said, "I believe India has tremendous potential in sports, which can transform it into a powerhouse that enhances the quality of life, as well as the mental and emotional health of its people. We start scouting for talent quite late. As a nation, if we embrace sports science and incorporate DNA testing to assess young athletes whose abilities align with geographical genetics, I believe we can truly make a difference."
Prakash Padukone, All England Open Badminton Champion, Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee, said, “In 1962, shuttle badminton was not very popular in the southern part of India. There were only five badminton courts in the entirety of Bangalore. At that time, I had no idea whether I would play professionally; I was just fond of the sport. I learnt watching other people play. I started playing at the age of 7, and by the time I was 15 or 16, I won the national championship. That’s when I began to take the sport seriously.”
Talking about Olympics, Prakash Padukone said, "We have abundant talent in the country, but many previously lacked opportunities. Over the last 15 years, this has changed significantly. The sports federations must be professionalised. Talent is not the issue, nor is funding a problem now. The government is doing its part, and people are receiving support, but it is crucial that sports federations become more involved. These federations need to operate like corporations. Federations control the sports. It is their responsibility to encourage and promote sports."
Talking about how he started playing chess, Viswanathan Anand, 5-time World Chess Champion, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee, said, “When I was 6 years old, I saw my siblings playing chess and asked my mother to teach me how to play. Near my sister's college, there was a chess club, so I joined it. Although it was a small club, it was an excellent one, frequented by international players. A family member also knew how to play chess, which was helpful during a time when it was difficult to find books on chess. Later, my father received an assignment in the Philippines, and we moved there. Chess was booming in the Philippines, so it was a fortunate coincidence. Both of my parents were very supportive, especially my mother. In 1983, I participated in a tournament at the chess club in Bangalore, competed in a team championship, and started winning several of them. I was the first Asian to win the Grand Junior Championship and eventually became a Grand Master. I decided to become a chess player at the age of 6.”
Talking about Olympics, Viswanathan Anand said, "In India, I work to identify talent and provide them with all the resources they need. Winning medals will inspire more people to take up sports as a career option. When sports become a mass movement in our country, that's when true transformation will happen. Currently, we are competitive in sports but often miss out narrowly. We shouldn’t be satisfied with these close misses; that's how we will grow as a sporting nation. In India, federations should be reformed to become more accommodating and spontaneous. Many chess players have started their own academies.”
Sharing his journey of falling in love with billiards, Geet Sethi, 6-time World Champion of Billiards/Snooker and Founder of Olympic Gold Quest, said, "I started in the 1970s. I used to play all types of sports. Then I got a chance to play billiards. At that time, you couldn’t play billiards if you were younger than 18 years because it was always located near the bar. A government circular reducing the age limit to 12 years opened my chance to play billiards. I was like a fish being drawn to water. Within a year, I stopped playing any other sports, and I won the first ever junior championship. To continue playing, I was asked to score a first division, and I would set the game aside for two months before Board Exams and barely get over 60%. I graduated with an Economics Honours degree and even did an MBA. I won my first major title in 1982 when I defeated Michael Ferreira."
Speaking about how India can do better at Olympics, Geet Sethi said, “The reason why we are not producing Olympic level sportspersons is that sports in India don’t have the money for the talent to be nurtured. Socioeconomics, genetics, and subconscious self-belief are the three things which will drive India to sporting excellence. Today, each member of the Olympic contingent is more confident which was not the case before.”
Sharing his experience, Geet added, “We did a study and identified boxing, badminton, wrestling, archery, shooting as the sports that should be prioritised in India. We have no chance in athletics and aquatics.”
ABP Network's Ideas of India 2025, centred around the theme ‘Humanity’s Next Frontier’, will bring together thought leaders and innovators to explore the challenges and opportunities posed by India’s rise in a rapidly evolving world. In the face of climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and technological advancements such as AI, the summit delved into India’s role as both an ancient civilisation and a demographic powerhouse in shaping the future. The two-day summit gathers a confluence of ideas from global thought leaders, intellectuals, and change makers, covering transformative possibilities in science, medicine, social contracts, and global leadership, with experts from diverse fields offering bold visions for a better, more sustainable world for all.
About ABP Network
An innovative media and content creation company, ABP Network is a credible voice in the broadcast and digital spheres, with a multi-language portfolio of news channels reaching 535 million individuals across India via YouTube, websites, apps, and social media platforms. ABP Studios, which falls under the purview of ABP Creations – the content innovation arm of the network – creates, produces, and licenses original, ground-breaking content beyond news. ABP Network is a group entity of ABP, established nearly 100 years ago, and continues to dominate as a leading media company.
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