Veteran Tennis player and Trinamool Congress leader Leander Paes on Thursday said he joined politics intending to make a difference in the lives of people.
Paes was talking to reporters during a visit to the Velim assembly constituency in South Goa. "I am sure people are wondering why I have come into politics. For me, it is the business of doing some good for the people," said the 48-year-old Olympian.
The Indian tennis legend said he calls politics a "business" because there is a lot of database, knowledge and involvement of professional teams in political activities.
"I have conducted my professional tennis career in a certain professionalism in a certain manner, in a certain patriotism. For me, as I have done patriotism using tennis as a vehicle, I would like to use this business of politics to make difference to the people, he said.
Paes said he also spoke to local fisherman in Velim and tried to understand their issues. "I have 14 issues that I have studied over the last one month in Goa and fishing is big issue. I cannot believe that in a last decade that fishing have deteriorated by 5 per cent and those are huge numbers."
Paes also praised TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and said that Banerjee has given him an opportunity to do good for the people and "that is something I am really grateful for". I believe in her because she is a champion. I know her since I was 8 years old, she has helped me a lot in my teens, when I needed to travel abroad and did not have sponsorship and foreign exchange at that time, he said.
Paes had joined the TMC here in the presence of party chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her trip to Goa last month.
