Olympic tennis medallist Leander Paes has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, launching a new innings in politics ahead of the West Bengal elections.
The tennis legend, born in West Bengal, cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision as his inspiration and aims to prioritise sports to empower the youth.
Paes wants to focus on sports education, sports infrastructure, medicine, and architecture, highlighting the need for improved facilities in India.
He noted that there is not a single indoor tennis court in the country, despite the tropical climate.
Paes credited Union minister Kiren Rijiju for inspiring him to join the BJP and praised government initiatives such as Khelo India for boosting the sports sector.
