Leander Paes turns to golf, eyes nurturing Olympic champions

Tennis great Leander Paes, the winner of 18 Grand Slam titles, has shifted focus to golf as he now aims to nurture Olympic champions across multiple sporting disciplines.

Paes has partnered with Indian Golf Union (IGU), Professional Golfers’ Association of India (PGAI) and The Gold Foundation (TGF) to build a pipeline of emerging golf talent in the country.

The Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), in association with IGU, PGAI, and TGF on Thursday unveiled the ‘Golf Growth Initiative,’ a landmark program designed to build the next generation of Indian golfers.

Launched at the Delhi Golf Club in the presence of Paes, the initiative marks a major shift in the sport’s development, taking golf directly into schools and playgrounds to widen the talent pool.

The program brings together the entire golfing ecosystem, including mentorships from former golfers such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chawrasia and Gaurav Ghei.

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Paes, an Olympic medallist and the the only tennis player to compete in seven Olympic Games, aims to build 10 academies for different sports throughout the country in the next 10 years.

“To me excellence in sports is to create your own legacy. I belong to a family of two Olympians and so I know how to create Olympians. I am looking at Olympic movements through all sports, including golf. Eighteen Grand Slam wins and 18 holes is the reason why golf attracted me,” he said.

“I have opened a Flying Man Academy in Bhubaneswar to nurture future Olympians. The academy currently has one lakh kids, including 40,000 tribal, 40,000 paid and 20,000 international kids. I want to develop Olympic champions.” Talking about his interest in golf, Paes said his vision is to take the game to the masses and develop a robust grassroot system.

“My focus in golf is to create academies, driving ranges, golf courses and take the game to the masses, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and villages because our Olympic champions generally emerge from there,” he said.

Strengthening grassroots

In a major announcement, IGPL confirmed a strategic partnership with The Golf Foundation (TGF) to drive grassroots scouting. To support this, IGPL announced the immediate establishment of world-class training facilities in Orissa, Gurgaon, and Andhra Pradesh starting this year.

FILE PHOTO: Indian golf legend and IGPL icon player Jeev said, “I have always believed that for Indian golf to grow, we need to give back to the next generation. This initiative is close to my heart because it provides young players with the kind of structured guidance and mentorship that can shave years off their learning curve.
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These centres will serve as regional hubs for identifying raw talent and providing them with professional-grade infrastructure. In attempt to reach the masses, the organisers have also launched a mobile ‘Golf on Wheels’ programme.

Indian golf legend and IGPL icon player Jeev said, “I have always believed that for Indian golf to grow, we need to give back to the next generation. This initiative is close to my heart because it provides young players with the kind of structured guidance and mentorship that can shave years off their learning curve.

“By bringing experienced pros and raw talent together on the same platform, we are instilling the belief that they can beat the best in the world.” Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of IGPL, added, “Indian golf is getting bigger and better, and the time has come to build a generation that can dominate the world stage. To do this, we are taking the game directly to schools and playgrounds, ensuring that no talent is left behind.”

Published on Jan 22, 2026