Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 16 : Former Indian tennis star and BJP leader Leander Paes on Thursday pledged his commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's impeccable leadership.
Speaking to ANI, Paes lauded PM Modi's leadership skills, stating, "Every team has a leader, a captain, and I have played on many teams in my life. Our leader is our PM Narendra Modi. Whatever he requires me to do to empower our state and country, run sports in our country, I will follow our leader. I think his vision and his leadership skills are impeccable".
Speaking on his transition from sports to politics, the Olympian described his dedication to national service, driven by his father's desire for him to uplift the country through sports.
"People like me normally stay away because of the fear of politics, but my Baba left me with a message to empower the 500 million children through sports and sports education... My heart beats for India and the Tiranga, I will work hard," he said.
Addressing critics who have labelled him an "outsider" in West Bengal politics, Paes dismissed the claims.
"I don't get hurt by these things because if you go back to the 17th century, my forefathers were Bengali. After I won my Olympic medal in 1996, lots of young Indian children felt they could also win... The same goes for politics," he stated.
Highlighting the Prime Minister's belief that sports and youth can empower the nation, he said, "With PM Modi, I talked about issues in Bengal... he said, 'Youth and sports can empower a nation'. Under the leadership of PM Modi, I will serve our country," Paes stated.
Leander Paes officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Sukanta Majumdar on March 31, marking his entry into the political arena ahead of the assembly polls in five states.
The tennis legend Leander Paes previously debuted in politics with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC in 2021.
Paes is a legend who will always be remembered for popularising tennis in India and for his contribution to the sport. He received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour, in 1996-97, the Arjuna Award in 1990, the Padma Shri award in 2001 and India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan prize in January 2014.