Double Fault For Leander Paes? Tennis Legend Joins BJP Ahead Of Bengal Polls, Raises Questions On Sportspersons In Politics
· Free Press Journal
Leander Paes, the man who practically invented the "never-die" spirit in Indian tennis, has just executed a sharp cross-court slice. By joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Paes has embarked on his second political stint — his first being a brief, largely decorative baseline rally with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021, a short-lived experiment.
Encouraged by Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC to be a face for the party’s national expansion, Paes campaigned extensively across the coastal state. However, the end result was a clinical shutout; the TMC failed to win a single seat, and Paes soon faded from the party's active roster.
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High-stakes political return ahead of Bengal polls
The new move, however, carries the weight of a high-stakes Grand Slam final. With the West Bengal elections looming, the BJP is clearly banking on Paes’ deep Kolkata connection to court the city’s heritage-proud electorate.
Born in the heart of Kolkata, the Olympic medallist is not just a sports icon; he is a local legend whose homecoming in saffron robes is designed to break the TMC’s serve in their own backyard.
It is also a sign that the BJP is reaching deep, practically the bottom, of its bag of unsurprising surprises, to take on Didi on her turf. Will this Kolkatar chele (Calcutta’s boy), the son of the soil, deliver?
Rising trend of sportspersons entering politics
The sight of a sportsperson trading a jersey for the vestments of a politician is nothing new, yet the "gravitational pull" has shifted. Before 2014, the Indian National Congress acted as the primary magnet, attracting icons like Mohammad Azharuddin, and before him, "Tiger" Pataudi.
However, the post-2014 era has seen the BJP’s dragnet sweep through the sporting world with precision. From Gautam Gambhir to Saina Nehwal, to Babita Phogat, and now Paes, the surge is undeniable.
Yet, curiously enough, unlike cricketers or wrestlers, few Indian tennis stars have "crossed the line" into the political court. Vijay Amritraj was a notable exception, though his contribution remained largely diplomatic as a UN Messenger of Peace.
Questions over impact of athletes in politics
But as the numbers swell, we must ask: what is the legacy of this transition? Has the influx of athletes led to better stadiums, transparent federations, or a sporting revolution? Unfortunately, the record remains an unforced error. Most sportspersons in politics find themselves relegated to brief roles of star campaigners — trophies on a stage rather than architects of policy.
A call to give back to sport
While the allure of power is strong, perhaps the greatest "match point" for an athlete lies elsewhere. It is better for sportspersons to give back to the disciplines that propelled them to global fame through grassroots academies and charitable foundations.
Rather than chasing a seat in the House, they could be building the next generation of champions. For Leander, one hopes this isn't just another double fault in the messy game of politics, but a genuine attempt to serve the city that first taught him how to serve.