'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
According to a report in The Times of India, tennis ace Leander Paes has been recommended for the Padma Bhushan this year. The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the country after the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.
Paes has had a long and illustrious career in the game of tennis, winning 14 Grand Slam titles (8 men’s doubles and 6 mixed doubles) thus far in his career. Earlier this year, Paes along with Czech Radek Stepanek shocked the Bryan brothers in the final of the US Open.
Trending
The 40-year-old’s finest moment in singles came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when he won the bronze medal and thus became India’s first Olympic medalist in an individual event since Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav in 1952.
Two sportspersons – cricketer Rahul Dravid and boxer Mary Kom – were awarded the Padma Bhushan for their outstanding contribution to sports last year.
If the Goan-born tennis star does end up receiving the honour, he will become the second tennis player to do so after Ramanathan Krishnan won the prestigious award way back in 1967.
