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Olympian Jennifer Paes, Mother of Leander, Dies at 72
19 May
Summary
- Former India basketball captain Jennifer Paes passed away Sunday.
- She was the great-great-granddaughter of poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
- Her husband played hockey, Leander won Olympic bronze in tennis.
Jennifer Paes, a former India basketball captain and Olympian, passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2026. She was 72 years old and had been battling cancer for an extended period. A family source confirmed her passing and stated that her funeral service took place on Monday at St. Thomas Church in Kolkata.
Born Jennifer Dutton, Paes was notable for her lineage, being the great-great-granddaughter of the renowned Bengali poet and dramatist Michael Madhusudan Dutt. She made her mark in sports by representing India in basketball at the 1972 Munich Olympics and subsequently captained the national team, becoming a significant personality in Indian women's basketball.
Paes belonged to a family with deep sporting connections. Her husband, Dr. Vece Paes, was a member of the Indian hockey team that secured a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics; he passed away in August 2025. Their son, Leander Paes, became one of India's most celebrated tennis players, earning a bronze medal in men's singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and winning 18 Grand Slam titles.
