Doubles star reveals uncanny Hall of Fame prediction made by Richard Evans
Leander Paes has revealed a moment of incredible foresight from Richard Evans from many years ago.
Speaking at his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Paes revealed that Evans had predicted this very event many years before.
Paes had first met Evans when he was just 11 years old and revealed to the scribe his ambitions within the game.
The young Paes had dreamt of winning an Olympic medal to emulate his accomplished parents but Evans predicted a greater future and a Hall of Fame career.
He also revealed that he was conceived during the Munich Olympics hostage crisis, which is one for the obscurest of pub quizzes.
“First of all, a few of us are very blessed to be born into legacy,” Paes said.
“A few of us understand the pressures of being born into legacy. Today sitting here at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, I wouldn’t have ever dreamt it, playing street cricket and street football barefoot back in Calcutta back in India. Never would have dreamt that not just one but two Indian boys get to sit on a podium with so much legacy around us.
“Just sitting in this auditorium, one feels the amazing history, both Vijay and myself having won the tournament here several times, singles, doubles.
“Getting to walk the lawns of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, getting to walk within the walls of the museum is just a phenomenal legacy.
“I grew up in India to two parents who were Olympians.
“Mom in basketball, dad won a bronze medal in the 1972 Munich Olympic in field hockey.
“Mom and dad were at the Munich Olympics when a little mishap happened and the Games were shut down for four days.
“I was conceived in those four days. I was born in June of 1973 as an Olympic kid.
“Football was my passion. Growing up to an Indian mom and Portuguese-Indian dad, football was the main sport in our household.
“On the 12th of May in 1986, I gave up a European football scholarship and I moved down to what was known as Madras back then, to the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy.
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“On the 12th of May, 1986, both these two young men on my right who I had the tremendous honor to sit on the stage with, were there on that day.
“Vijay and his wonderful parents welcomed me into an academy, gave all of us boys an opportunity that was very special back in India, and one is so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Amritraj, to Vijay for giving us this great opportunity. I did my holy communion with his mother.
“On the 12th of May, 1986, Richard Evans was there. He was writing Vijay’s autobiography. I walked up to him as an 11-year-old and I stuck my hand out and I said, Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Evans, I’m Leander Paes.
“He goes, ‘what are you here for?’
“I was, ‘I want to emulate my father in winning an Olympic medal.’
“On the 12th of May, 1986, Mr. Evans turned to me and said to this young 11-year-old kid, If you work hard enough, you might even get into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.”