Olympian and Leander Paes's mother, Jennifer, passes away after battle with cancer

Jennifer represented India at the 1972 Munich Olympics and later captained the Indian women’s basketball team, inspiring generations of athletes with her dedication and achievements.

Bengaluru: Jennifer Paes, former Olympian basketball player and mother of legendary tennis player Leander Paes, passed away on Sunday following a battle with cancer.

Jennifer (72), earlier known as Jennifer Dutton, was one of the pioneering figures in Indian women’s basketball. She represented India at the 1972 Munich Olympics and later captained the Indian women’s basketball team, inspiring generations of athletes with her dedication and achievements.

Jennifer belonged to one of India’s most distinguished sporting families. Her former husband, the late Dr Vece Paes, was a member of the Indian hockey team that won bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics, while her son Leander brought glory to the nation with his bronze medal in tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Jennifer was the great-granddaughter of noted Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt.

The Karnataka State Basketball Association (KSBBA) as well K Govindaraj, President of FIBA Asia and Karnataka Olympic Association, condoled Jennifer’s demise.

“Her contribution to Indian sports and her legacy as an outstanding athlete and inspiring mother will always be remembered,” said a statement from KSBBA.