India doesn`t support many games: Paes

India’s tennis ace Leander Paes chatted with Vineet Sharma of Zeenews.com at the launch of Limca Book of Records 2008, an event where former Olympians were also felicitated. He talked about the tennis scene in India, cricket’s dominance, chances of winning medals at the Beijing Olympics and his team-up with Mahesh Bhupathi for the sports extravaganza. Here are a few excerpts:What ails Indian tennis?

India at present doesn’t support many games and it is a shame that we are unaware of many winter sports like Luge, in which the Indian athletes are doing great. We compete with grit and determination even when we don’t have the best of facilities. In spite of all the odds, we have made a mark on the international circuit and that is a commendable feat that shows that we have the prowess to be a force to reckon with in the international arena. We need a greater support from the corporate world in the terms of sponsorships and also from the media to give recognition to all the athletes who give their best at all times. We have a tremendous pool of talented youngsters who have made ripples in the tennis circuit, what more is required for them to make it to the centre stage? We need to develop a comprehensive sports culture in which players are groomed from an early stage. We need to tap the potential available in the rural centres as there is tremendous talent that can be harnessed from these areas. Do you think that other sports have taken a backseat due to the dominance of cricket? It is not so, we are a country of a billion plus population and there is enough space to accommodate all sports in the bigger picture. All we need to do is to provide the youngsters with better training and exposure. What are the chances of India lifting the Davis Cup? We have a very good team and the youngsters are making a mark for themselves. The chances of us winning more frequently are high and we will definitely emerge victorious soon. Your pairing up with Mahesh Bhupathi for the Olympic Games has been much talked about, there is hardly any time left before the games begin, how will you two prepare for the event when you haven’t played together for sometime? Mahesh and I go back a long way, we have played together for more than eight years and know each other quite well. We complement each other well and winning for our country is the driving force for both of us. With such a back-up, I’m sure we will do well and be a great team. So you are confident of bringing an Olympics medal for India? I think that we will bring more than one! We have experience and passion on our side and I’m confident of bringing that elusive gold medal back home. I assure all that we will get the best for India. We are at a point where money doesn’t matter, honour does!