Indian tennis legend and world renowned doubles player Leander Paes has been recommended by the Sports Ministry for this year's Padma Bhushan - the only sportsperson named for the prestigious honour, Times of India reported on Wednesday.
Paes, partnering Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek, won the US Open doubles title in August and has in all won eight doubles grand slams. Last year, the ministry recommended the names of former India cricketer Rahul Dravid and Olympic-medal-winning wrestler Sushil Kumar for Padma Bhushan, with Dravid winning it in the end.
Meanwhile, four sportspersons have been nominated for the Padma Shri: former India football coach Arun Ghosh, former national shooting coach Sunny Thomas, eight-time national table tennis champion Indu Puri and wrestler late KD Jadhav, who won India' first individual Olympic medal with a bronze in the 1952 Games.
Paes, who has 53 titles to his name, won the Arjuna award in 1990, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 1997 and the Padma Shri in 2001. If Paes were to get the Padma Bhushan, he will only be the second tennis player after Ramanathan Krishnan (1967) to get the prestigious award.
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