Pune: In a move filled with surprise and intrigue, Leander Paes has decided to run for the lone vice-president’s post in the All India Tennis Association (AITA) elections, scheduled for Nov 27.The 18-time Grand Slam winner’s candidature was revealed by Chintan Parikh, AITA’s interim president, in a press release on Sunday.Parikh said his partnership with Paes, who is the president of the Bengal Tennis Association, was finalised after a meeting between the two in Kolkata on Friday. “Parikh will contest as president and Paes as vice president. Both of them will be supported by a capable team of honorary secretary, treasurer, two joint secretaries and other Executive Committee members … these names will be decided in the next few days,” the press release said.“Both of them have agreed to commit themselves to the mission named ‘Tennis First’ that aims at clean and transparent governance in AITA, adherence to code of ethics as per ITF guidelines … and ultimately preparing the nation with a world-class tennis ecosystem by 2030”.As per the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, a candidate must have completed at least one term as an office-bearer in a state association or on the executive committee of the national body to be eligible to run for president. Paes was elected to the BTA top job last November.He could have run for AITA president as a Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit, but he refrained from filing for nomination, despite being the only Olympic medal winner in the roster.Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza, the other two Grand Slam winners in the SOM roster, have filed their nominations.Rohan Bopanna, the other major winner, had applied to be on the SOM roster, but was ruled ineligible as he had not completed the one-year cooling period since he played his last professional tournament, in October 2025.
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