The eternally evergreen Leander!

Major Dhyan Chand, Sachin Tendulkar, Tenzing Norgay, Viswanathan Anand, Geet Sethi, Prakash Padukone, Milkha Singh, PT Usha, Chuni Goswami, Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and K D Jadhav.

Notwithstanding the likely arguments for and against certain inclusions and omissions, there is no room for doubt that the above mentioned trail-blazing dozen sports ambassadors will mark the crème de la crème of Make in India world champions, who epitomized everything that is legendary in their respective disciplines.

If anything, a second reading of the list reveals that there, indeed, is a faux pas because a name that ought to figure somewhere at the top is missing. It is for the simple reason that Leander Adrian Paes has scaled dizzy heights with stunningly superlative performances at an enviously consistent rate in a ruthlessly competitive sport, which is played in almost every country, a la football.

Paes, by all accounts, is up there in the global who’s who for having earned a rightful salutation as one of the greatest men and mixed doubles tennis players of all time. His approach to the sport may not exactly be a purist’s delight because he employs a strangely unorthodox style but then, at the end of the day, those very playing skills, which include breathtaking volleys and game-winning drop-shots, have been extraordinarily productive.

They continue to mesmerize history-chasing opponents half his age on the other side of the net. As the ageless wonder, he has gone ahead of Ken Rosewall and Jimmy Connors, despite the fact that the latter two exemplified longevity in singles making their exploits more stupendous.

However, seen rationally from the other side of the spectrum, Paes, endowed with superb on-court athleticism and agility, has been the dynamic other half to several partners whether it was in men doubles or in the mixed category. That he is able to inspire the partners to bring on their best showing in crunch situations makes the legacy of Paes that much more phenomenal.

Lest one forgets, he may have just one ATP singles title in his kitty, but he also has the 1996 Atlanta Olympics singles bronze. As the mainstay of the country’s Davis Cup fortunes, he boasts of an impressive 89–32 overall record, which includes pulling-off some amazing singles triumphs.

While on the topic of sports, and slightly moving away from India’s greatest tennis player ever, the fine run of Paes and Sania Mirza has exposed the gullible mentality of Indian policy makers. One can imagine two contrasting scenarios and draw conclusions about the so-called ‘sports promotion’ by the Indian administrators that invariably leaves every athlete despondent.

The moment Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci stunned the world by setting up a historic women singles US Open title showdown, no less a person than the country’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi flew down to New York. He was among 23,771 spectators in the Arthur Ashe Stadium watching the first all-Italian woman Grand Slam final of the Open Era.

It reminds one of the time when the then Pakistan President, and a self-confessed cricket buff, Zia-ul-Haq, flew down to Ahmedabad to watch an India-Pakistan match. This, on the spur of the moment camaraderie, is also demonstrated by Heads of Governments in Europe, United States and Australia. Alas, Indian leaders belong to a non-descript tribe, altogether. When Paes (the only player apart from Rod Laver to have won Wimbledon titles in three different decades) and Sania keep tryst with destiny we cannot even dream of such ‘august’ cheerleading.

Yes, the moment our athlete’s corner glory, the friendly politicians, sportspersons from other disciplines, film stars and other ever generous celebrities, take to twitter to express their ‘delight at the magical achievement and putting India on the world map.’ Yes, of course, we felicitate them when they return and gift a cheque (with the money squeezed dry from the honest tax-payer) thereafter.

Back to the peerless man of the moment, the incredibly resilient Paes has set benchmarks of such lofty standards that generations of doubles specialists to come will find it near-improbable to even aspire to go anywhere nearer as he has redefined what is generally presumed as the stuff of legends. Add the magnificent run for Washington Kastles in the World Team Tennis and one can imagine Paes’ brilliance at all levels.

Like Roger Federer, India’s six-time Olympian has also acquired a vintage streak that continues to baffle the connoisseur. It is poetic justice that he (along with Martina Hingis) lowered a 46-year mixed doubles Slam record in what is his 25th year as a professional. That surely will rank as the sweetest icing on any athlete’s silver jubilee cake. In his own words, Paes asserted on Saturday, ‘I have guts to go after my goals.’

He is right because he not a dreamer anymore. He is living every tennis professional’s dream. After having won Slam No 14 as the oldest player in the Open era, the 42-year-old has ceased to make history with title Nos 15, 16 and 17. This is because every time Leander Adrian Paes wields the racquet like a magic wand, the maestro is just penning new Ripley’s Believe it or Not! kind of chapters to his, and tennis world’s, folklore.

By Sridhar K Penna