Hon Group Captain Sachin to fly Sukhoi soon to earn IAF wings

SPORT-TENDULKAR LD-IAF

New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) Conferred with the honorary rank
of Group Captain by the IAF on Friday, top Indian batsman
Sachin Tendulkar will soon fly the Sukhoi frontline fighter
plane to earn his "wings" and realise a childhood wish.
Tendulkar, who became the first sportsperson to be
honoured with a honorary rank by the Indian Air Force and the
first with no aviation background to get this recognition,
said he had wanted to fly the Sukhoi for long.
He had in 1996 taken a joy ride on Italian-made Aermacchi
or Macchi MB-326 'Impalla' military jet of the South African
Air Force and cherished that experience.
Tendulkar, 37, was formally "welcomed into the Air Force
family" by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik in the
presence of Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh.
Naik, who piped the Group Captain rank on Tendulkar's
shoulders and took the first formal salute from the cricketer,
told reporters that he was scheduling a training flight on the
Sukhoi for Tendulkar so that he could earn his "wings".
In 2008, India's World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev had
received the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the
Territorial Army.
"It's a great pleasure and honour to come here and to be
honoured by IAF. This a very important day for me and I will
remember this my entire life. I cannot say this is a dream
come true, but it was only wishful thinking and it has come
true," Tendulkar said after receiving the honour.
"I'm extremely proud to be a part of IAF. I want to urge
the youth to join air force and serve the nation. Chase your
dreams, because dreams do come true," Tendulkar said.
Noting that as a teenager, he was fascinated by
superbikes and fighter planes, Tendulkar said he was "very
scared" when he took the first joy ride on Impalla,
particularly after the pilot told him on the procedures to
eject out of the plane in an emergency.
He also joked that he was concerned because if he did not
follow the ejection procedures properly, it would mean
injuring his elbow, a trouble that has dogged him in his
cricketing career for long now.
The batting maestro said to be a completely professional
sportspersons, one needs to have "commitment, concentration
and dedication."
"But that came naturally for air warriors in the IAF," he
said, applauding the IAF's efforts to secure the country's
frontiers during war and coming to the rescue of the civilians
at times of crises and disasters.
"All that I can do to come as close as looking like an
air warrior is to wear my Aviator sunglasses," he said
triggering peals of laughter among the audience. MORE PTI
NCB/ATK
RBT


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