Leander Paes eyes AITA presidency, files for Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit status

Pune: In an indication of his intention to contest for the All India Tennis Association (AITA) president’s post, Olympic medallist and multiple Grand Slam winner Leander Paes has decided to place himself in the roster of Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SoM). As per the National Sports Governance Act (2025) and NSG Rules (2026), the SoMs have to be categorised into 10 tiers, with athletes who have won an Olympic medal belonging to the top bracket.

“Leander has expressed his interest and we are in the process of submitting his application. He is the only (tennis) player eligible for Tier 1,” said Hironmoy Chatterjee, a vice-president of the AITA interim executive committee and chief advisor with the Bengal Tennis Association (BTA).

Paes is the current BTA president. Paes, 53, who won the singles bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games, did not respond to a request for comment. The AITA has set a 60-day deadline of October 15 for players to submit their applications, having begun the process on August 15. That means the elections are likely to be held in November, well behind the September 30 deadline set by the Delhi High Court. Chintan Parikh, the interim president, said, “The players need to file their nominations and get elected without any interference from AITA.”