Vece Paes
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| Born | 30 April 1945 Goa, Portuguese India | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 14 August 2025 (aged 80) Kolkata, West Bengal, India | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | • Master of Surgery • M.B.B.S | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Field hockey | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Vece Paes (30 April 1945 – 14 August 2025) was an Indian field hockey Olympian. He was a midfielder. He was also a sports physician and sports administrator. He was part of the Indian hockey team that won the bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics.[1] He was a sports medicine expert and held positions in various sports bodies, including the BCCI and ACC.[2]
Early life and education
Paes was a Goan Christian, born on 30 April 1945 in Goa, formerly Portuguese India.[1][3] His father and three siblings were doctors. He did his schooling at St. Joseph’s Boys' School, Bangalore[4][5] from 1951 to 1962 and later, moved back to Kolkata for his pre-university at St. Xavier's College from 1963 to 1964[3] and Presidency University from 1964 to 1965.
He completed his MBBS at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital in 1974.[6] He also practiced general surgery from 1974 to 1983 and later, specialised in corporate and sports medicine (1984–2000).[2]
Playing career
It was his teacher at St. Xavier's College in Kolkata, Cecil K. Leeming, a Catholic priest and lecturer, who encouraged him to take up hockey. Paes father, Peter, opposed it initially, as it would affect his future career in medicine. He joined East Bengal hockey team in 1966 and played for 13 years. He won 9 Beighton Cups and 9 Calcutta League titles and Olympian Gurbux Singh was also part of the team with him.[3] Later, Singh was his captain at the Olympics. He made his senior India debut at Hamburg in 1966 under the captaincy of Gurbux Singh and played for India till 1972. He competed in the 1971 Barcelona World Cup and the 1972 Munich Olympics, winning bronze medals in both. He also played divisional-level cricket, football, rugby, and soccer.[6]
Sports administration
Sports medicine and consulting
He was a sports medical consultant to the All India Tennis Association since 1991 and the All India Football Federation from 1996 to 2001.[7] He worked with the Indian Olympic Association during events such as the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was also the team doctor for India’s Davis Cup team.
Cricket anti-doping and fitness
Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Sports Medicine and Fitness Consultant (2001–2009): developed sports medicine programmes across 18 Asian countries, including peak performance, age verification, and anti-doping initiatives; served as tutor for ACC–Cricket Australia courses.[8]
He was the Anti-Doping Consultant of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 2010 to 2025 and oversaw national anti-doping programmes, compliance, testing, athlete education, and the National Player Pool whereabouts system.[9][7]
Leadership roles in sport
He was the president of the Indian Rugby Football Union (1996–2002)[8] and the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club, one of the oldest sports clubs of India and was also a medical contributor to East Bengal football.
Personal life and death
Paes married Jennifer Paes, a former captain of India’s basketball team and great-granddaughter of Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt. The couple had three children: Leander Paes, who became one of India’s greatest tennis players and an Olympic medalist, along with two daughters settled abroad.[3]
Paes died after a prolonged illness in Kolkata, on the morning of 14 August 2025, at the age of 80. He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease and was admitted to Woodlands Hospital for treatment. His funeral rites were held later in the week after his daughters returned from overseas.[10]
References
- ^ a b Sarangi, Y. B. (14 August 2025). "Vece Paes, Olympic hockey bronze medallist, passes away". Sportstar. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Vece PAES". LinkedIn.
- ^ a b c d "Vece Paes: A Man for All Seasons". Hindustan Times. 14 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ Damodaran, Akhila (9 August 2018). "Bengaluru: French seminary to a coveted school and city jewel". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Fascinating items at St Joseph's museum". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b Nag, Utathya (15 August 2025). "Vece Paes - the Renaissance Man of Indian sports". Olympics. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Dr Vece Paes obituary: The big-hearted all-rounder of Indian sports". The Indian Express. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Vece Paes and Leander Paes were part of unique feat in Indian sport". The Times of India. 14 August 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "'Made a huge contribution to Indian cricket': Ratnakar Shetty recalls Dr. Vece Paes' role in BCCI's two crucial programs". The Times of India. 14 August 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ PTI (14 August 2025). "Olympic bronze-winning hockey legend Dr Vece Paes passes away at 80". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
External links
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