Two Legends, Two New Roles
Do elite athletes always make good administrators? The jury is still out, but Kolkata has double reason to celebrate as two of its greatest sporting icons prepare to take charge of their state associations.
Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, still beloved as Dada, will begin his second innings as President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) next week. Meanwhile, tennis icon Leander Paes will formally take over as President of the Bengal Tennis Association (BTA) in November.
For the BTA, convincing Paes to step into the hot seat was a coup, marking a homecoming for the 18-time Grand Slam winner and the first Asian inducted into the ITF Hall of Fame.
Yes, I will be picking the brains of Sourav on the finer points of administration. Each of us may have a different style but at the end of the day, both of us are team players.
Paes’ journey has come full circle—from leaving home at age 12 for the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy in Chennai, to a globe-trotting playing career, and finally returning to settle with his daughter Aiyana in Kolkata’s Rowdon Street area.
A Natural Transition into Leadership
Hironmoy Chatterjee, the outgoing BTA president, revealed that Paes had been groomed for the role.
It was about a year back that we inducted him as one of the Vice Presidents. He has been a keen student of administration—studying the laws, provisions and development plans. As it’s time for me to pass on the baton, there is no better person than Leander.
Speaking at a BTA reception at Dakshin Kalikata Sansad, one of his old training grounds, Paes admitted: “I know it’s a huge responsibility and there will be people pointing fingers at me. However, I plan to work very, very hard to produce champions from the City of Joy who will play in Wimbledon one day with the tiranga in the crowd.”
Inspired by Sourav, Dreaming Bigger
Paes lauded Ganguly’s willingness to step into administration despite inevitable criticism.
Let the likes of Sachin, Dhoni or Virat also get their experience into play.
Pride in Davis Cup Heroes
Shifting to the present, Paes praised India’s recent away Davis Cup triumph over Switzerland, the nation’s first win against a European team on foreign soil in 32 years. “Sumit [Nagal] and the boys did very well in singles. Nothing gives me greater pride than seeing Indians dominate abroad,” he said, recalling his own role in the historic 1993 win against France.
Ganguly’s Return and the BCCI Puzzle
While Paes takes charge at the BTA, Ganguly will resume his role at CAB. “There are several important events coming up in the next three years like the Test match against South Africa, T20 World Cup and Bengal Pro T20 League this year. I will try and do my best,” Ganguly told local media after filing his nomination unopposed.
Speculation had swirled about Ganguly’s possible return as BCCI president. But in a dramatic late twist, it is former Delhi all-rounder Mithun Manhas—set to become the first Jammu and Kashmir-born Indian cricketer to hold the top job — who has emerged as the front runner. According to reports, board members finalised Manhas’ name after intense midnight discussions in Delhi on September 20. He flew to Mumbai the next day to file his nomination and is poised to be elected unopposed at the BCCI AGM on September 28.
