By Admin 
Indian tennis legend Leander Paes is all set to assume the role of an administrator as he was named as the next president of the Bengal Tennis Association (BTA). The 18-time Grand Slam champion in men’s doubles and mixed doubles was formally proposed as BTA chief during a felicitation function organised by one of the clubs where he learnt the sport as a child, here.
He will be officially filing for the BTA chief’s post in the association’s Annual General Meeting scheduled in November. Paes, who has been the honorary vice-president of the BTA for quite some time, accepted the proposal of the outgoing BTA president Hironmoy Chatterjee and vowed to take Bengal tennis to greater heights.
Having returned to the city after remaining an international citizen for quite some time, Paes became the natural choice to lead the sport’s administration in the state. “This is a huge responsibility. When Hironmoy Chatterjee came to me and explained the responsibility to do greater good and carry on the dreams of the entire state and then the nation, I do see merit in it,” Paes said at a grand felicitation on Wednesday organised by BTA and Dakshin Kalikata Sansad, one of the clubs where he took his first tennis lessons.
“I am very grateful for the faith reposed on me, as I know there will be some big shoes that I am stepping into. I know there will be people who will be judging me whether I can govern and run an association as an athlete. I have always let my racket do the talking so, I would rather be a student and learn from my mentors like Chatterjee,” Paes, who became the first Asian to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2024, said.