India’s tennis greats Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj showed off their dance moves after being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Both these greats carried Indian tennis on the international stage and massively impacted the sport globally. Alongside Paes and Amritraj, British sports journalist Richard Evans was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
Regarding their career achievements, Paes has won 18 Grand Slam titles in the men’s and mixed doubles disciplines while also clinching an Olympic Bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta at the age of 23. On the other hand, Amritraj made four grand slam quarterfinals, including a QF appearance at Wimbledon at 19. He also led the Indian team to two Davis Cup finals.
Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj dance to Hall Of Fame by The Script
Leander and Vijay were the first Asian men in their category to be nominated as members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Hence after their induction, the Indian duo danced to the popular song Hall of Fame by The Script in a video shared by Vijay’s son Prakash Amritraj.
Thank you so much for giving this Indian boy hope: Leander Paes
Talking about the ceremony, Leander Paes’s induction was held by Tennis Hall of Fame member Martina Navratilova before his daughter Aiyana presented him with the Hall of Fame medal. After receiving this award, Paes, in his speech, said, “It is my greatest honour to be on this stage with not only these legends of the game, [but] people who have inspired me every single day of my life.
“Not because you have won Grand Slams, not because you have shaped the world of our sport. But every single one of these people has shaped the world that we live in. I would like to thank you so much for giving this Indian boy hope,” he continued.