We need an ecosystem that builds talent early, holistically and communally.
- LEANDER
Why I Built this Academy
Across every arena I’ve competed in — from the Olympics to 20 Grand Slam titles — one truth has guided me:
Champions are built, not born.
Champions emerge when talent is nurtured with mentorship, structure, and above all, a community that believes in them.
India possesses extraordinary potential. What we need is an ecosystem that builds this potential early, holistically, and communally.
The Flying Man Academy is that ecosystem.
This vision is deeply personal.
Long before I stepped onto Centre Court or an Olympic podium, I grew up immersed in elite sport through my father, Dr. Vece Paes — an Olympic medalist with India’s gold-winning field hockey team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and one of the country’s most respected sports scientists
Over six decades, he has worked at the highest levels of global sport — with organizations such as the BCCI, International Tennis Federation, All India Tennis Federation, FIFA, the International Hockey Federation, the Indian Rugby Union, and the Indian Olympic Association — shaping athletes, systems, and sporting policy.
Together, my father and I represent over 100 years of lived experience in elite sport — across competition, science, governance, and mentorship.
The Flying Man Academy is our way of passing that knowledge forward.
My vision is bold, heartfelt, and anchored in India’s future:
To nurture 250 million young athletes over the next 20 years, across diverse Olympic
disciplines — not just to create champions, but to build healthier, stronger, more
disciplined generations.
This is the legacy I want to leave behind.
