Leander Paes urges NSFs to learn from BCCI and IPL model
Synopsis
Leander Paes, one of only three men in the Open era to hold a career Grand Slam in doubles and mixed doubles, is pointing India's sporting bodies toward an unlikely classroom: the BCCI and IPL. His argument — that cricket's grassroots infrastructure is the model every other NSF should replicate — cuts to the heart of why India dominates cricket globally but struggles elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
Leander Paes called on National Sports Federations to learn from the BCCI and IPL on professionalising sport at all levels.
Paes, 52 , has won eight men's doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles across nearly three decades.
He specifically named hockey, football, tennis, and badminton as sports that should emulate the BCCI's grassroots cricket model.
Paes flagged the high cost of being a professional athlete in India — travel, coaching, hotels, and rehabilitation — as a systemic barrier.
He is currently brand ambassador for the GS Delhi Aces in the Tennis Premier League , a franchise-format league modelled on the IPL.
Indian tennis legend Leander Paes has called on National Sports Federations (NSFs) across the country to study the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a blueprint for professionalising sport — from elite competition down to grassroots development. Paes made the remarks on the sidelines of a Tennis Premier League press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday, 19 May.
The BCCI-IPL Model as a Template
'When you look at that, there is so much to learn from the BCCI and the IPL. I think every other sporting governance can come together and work with the IPL and BCCI, and learn from them how to professionalise sport — not just at the top of the pyramid where you have the best athletes in the world, but also at the grassroots level,' Paes said.
The 52-year-old, who has won eight men's doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles across a career spanning nearly three decades, argued that the BCCI's investment in grassroots cricket offers a replicable model for other disciplines.
A Call to Hockey, Football, Tennis and Badminton
'When you look at the BCCI supporting grassroots cricket, that is exactly what hockey, football, tennis, and badminton should also do,' said Paes, who hails from Kolkata and recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections.
Paes is one of only three men in the Open era to hold a career Grand Slam in both men's doubles and mixed doubles — a distinction that lends authority to his call for structural reform in Indian sport.
The Cost Burden on Indian Athletes
Paes was candid about the financial strain facing professional athletes in India, noting that the system offers little cushion for those competing on the global stage.
'I have tremendous respect for all the youngsters who, on the global stage, represent India. It's not easy to be a professional athlete from India. The cost, the travel, the hotel, the coaching, the rehab — it's a very expensive effort to play global sport,' he said.
This comes amid a broader national conversation about sports funding, with several NSFs facing criticism for administrative inefficiency and inadequate support structures for non-cricket disciplines.
Paes's Role in Tennis Premier League
Paes is currently serving as brand ambassador for the GS Delhi Aces franchise in the Tennis Premier League, a league-format tournament that itself draws inspiration from the IPL's franchise model. His involvement underscores the growing effort to replicate cricket's commercial architecture across other sports.
With India's sporting ambitions expanding ahead of the 2036 Olympics bid, the pressure on NSFs to modernise their governance and grassroots pipelines is only set to intensify.
Point of View
And praising the BCCI (whose influence is closely tied to the political establishment) carries optics worth noting. More substantively, the IPL model works because cricket in India has a captive mass audience and a television rights market worth billions; replicating that for badminton or hockey requires demand creation, not just governance mimicry. The real gap in Indian sport is not that NSFs lack a template — it is that they lack accountability, and no amount of IPL benchmarking fixes that without enforcement mechanisms. Paes's credibility as a career Grand Slam holder gives the call weight, but the structural barriers he identifies — cost, travel, rehab — are precisely what better-funded NSFs in China and the US solve through state subsidy, not franchise leagues.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Leander Paes say about the BCCI and IPL?
Leander Paes said National Sports Federations in India have 'so much to learn' from the BCCI and IPL on how to professionalise sport at both the elite and grassroots levels. He made the remarks at a Tennis Premier League press conference in Mumbai on 19 May.
Which sports did Paes say should follow the BCCI's grassroots model?
Paes specifically named hockey, football, tennis, and badminton as sports that should replicate the way the BCCI supports grassroots cricket development.
What is Leander Paes's Grand Slam record?
Paes has won eight men's doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles in a career spanning nearly three decades. He is one of only three men in the Open era to hold a career Grand Slam in both men's doubles and mixed doubles.
What did Paes say about the cost of being a professional athlete in India?
Paes said it is 'not easy' to be a professional athlete from India, citing the high costs of travel, hotels, coaching, and rehabilitation as significant barriers for young athletes competing on the global stage.
What is Leander Paes's current role in the Tennis Premier League?
Paes is the brand ambassador for the GS Delhi Aces franchise in the Tennis Premier League, a franchise-based tennis competition that draws structural inspiration from the IPL model.
