Legendary Indian tennis players, Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj, the heroes of many a historic triumph transcending generations, on Sunday became the first two exponents of the sport from Asia to be inducted into the International Hall of Fame.
Paes, 51, whose list of achievements include the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games men's singles bronze, eight men's doubles and 10 mixed doubles grand slam crowns besides several famed Davis Cup victories, was given the rare honour in the 'Player Category'.
Vijay Amritraj, 70, reached the men's singles quarterfinals at the Wimbledon and US Open twice each besides guiding India to the Davis Cup finals twice -- in 1974 and 1987. At his peak, he was ranked No.18 in the world in singles and No. 23 in doubles.
He along with Richard Evans was inducted into the Hall of fame in the 'Contributor Category'.
"Paes was inducted in the Player Category, while Amritraj and Evans were recognised as a part of the Contributor Category: honoring visionary leaders, pioneers, or individuals who have made a consummate impact on the sport. The three inductees brings the total to 267 legends from 28 nations represented in the Hall of Fame," said the International Tennis Hall of Fame statement.
Paes spent 37 weeks at No. 1 in the world rankings in doubles, and won 54 doubles titles on tour.
He is one of only three men in tennis history to capture a career Grand Slam in both disciplines. Paes, who hails from Kolkata, competed in seven straight Olympic Games between Barcelona, 1992 to Rio, 2016, the most in tennis history.
Reflecting on his journey, Paes said, "A few of us are very blessed to be born into legacy. Today, sitting here at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, I wouldn't have ever dreamt it, playing street cricket and street football barefoot back in Calcutta.
"I am so excited to share this with all of you, representing every young boy and girl around the planet who has a dream in their mind, passion in their hearts and fire in their belly," said Paes, who partnered Mahesh Bhupathi in men's doubles and took Indian tennis to great heights before their acrimonious split.
In mixed doubles he partnered two of the greatest women players -- Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis.
In her tribute to the Indian champion, Navratilova said, herself a Hall of Famer in 2000, said, "I think Leander played tennis how most of us would like to play and the fun really starts when he comes to the net. He has reflexes like a leopard and runs every ball down if he can and if he can't he dives for it. The passion the man has for the sport is indescribable." "It is my greatest honour to not only be on this stage with these legends of the game, but people who have inspired me every single day of my life," said Paes. "It’s not because you've all won Grand Slams, not because you've shaped the world of our sport, but every single one of these people shaped the world that we live in. I would like to thank you all so much for giving this Indian boy hope." Amritraj, who came on the ATP Tour in 1970, was a key player on India's Davis Cup squad over the years. In fact, Amritraj was a key member of two Indian squads that qualified for in the Davis Cup final - in 1974 when country didn't play against South Africa due to its apartheid policy and in 1987, when it lost final to Sweden. After his retirement, he has become the face of tennis broadcasting, helping in the expansion of professional tennis.
"To my fellow Indians in India and around the world I can't thank you enough. You welcomed me to your homes to the big cities to the small towns and your growth was my growth alongside India’s growth. You shared my joy and sorrows with me." Amritraj praised his parents for the impact they had made on his life.
"These two ordinary people did extraordinary things with my life. They dreamt the impossible, flying blind and set me on a journey that would get me here to the ultimate honor in tennis. An impossible life story of a boy from 1950’s Chennai. They are watching from above with my mom saying I told you so." Paes, Amritraj and Evans received their signature Hall of Fame Brooks Brothers blazers, and were recognised after the ceremony at the official Induction Celebration.
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