Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya meets International Tennis Hall of Famer Leander Paes

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya met Indian tennis great and International Tennis Hall of Famer Leander Paes on Thursday to discuss the future of sports in India and strategies to further enhance the country's performance in the Olympics and Paralympics.

"It was a pleasure to meet legendary Olympic medalist @Leander today! Also Congratulated him on being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame! He continues to inspire youth and athletes to chase their dreams," the sports minister posted on X.

The discussion centered around building a stronger sports foundation in India, with an emphasis on identifying and nurturing grassroots talent.

The union minister expressed his commitment to creating more conducible environment where aspiring athletes have access to world-class facilities, coaching, and competitive opportunities, the ministry release read.

Paes shared his experiences and insights on what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

In July this year, Paes along with Vijay Amritraj became the first Asian men to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

While Paes was inducted under the player category, Amritraj made it into the coveted club under the contributor category.

Widely regarded as one of the top doubles players in the history of the sport, Paes is an 18-time Grand Slam champion with eight men's doubles titles and 10 in mixed doubles. He is one of only three men in tennis history to capture a career Grand Slam in both disciplines.

He spent 37 weeks at No. 1 in the world rankings in doubles, and won 54 doubles titles on tour.

Paes competed in seven straight Olympic Games, the most in tennis history, and is India’s only Olympic medalist in tennis, claiming bronze in singles at the 1996 Summer Olympics.