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Sportspersons from Indian Air Force who have made India proud

As the country celebrates the Indian Air Force (IAF) Day, here we look at some of the athletes from IAF who have made India proud at the global level.

Indian Air Force Athletes
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Deepak Kumar, Shikha Pandey and Santosh Kumar

By

Abhijit Nair

Updated: 26 Feb 2022 6:40 PM GMT

It is a well-known fact that apart from their duties to the nation in times of crisis, the Indian defence forces are also a breeding ground for many talented sportspersons who go on to represent India at the highest of all stages.

From the likes of Milkha Singh to the modern-day legend Neeraj Chopra, the defence forces have gifted India, countless sporting heroes.

As the country celebrates the Indian Air Force (IAF) Day today i.e. 8th October 2021, here we look at some of the athletes from IAF who have made India proud at the global level.

Shikha Pandey

Shikha Pandey (Times of India)


A cricketer par excellence, Shikha Pandey is an air traffic control officer with the Indian Air Force. A pace-bowling all-rounder by specialisation, the 30-year-old Pandey has represented India more than 100 times taking 118 wickets and scoring 773 runs.

Shivpal Singh

Shivpal Singh (AFI)


A javelin thrower from the state of Uttar Pradesh, Shivpal Singh is a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer with the Indian Air force. Aged 26, Singh holds a personal best of 86.23m which helped him qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. He also boasts of an Asian Athletics silver and a gold medal at the World Military Games.

Santosh Kumar

Santosh Kumar (Outlook)


Probably one of the least known names in this list, Santosh Kumar is a Wushu practitioner. A sergeant in the Indian Air Force, Santosh clinched the bronze medal in men's 56kg sanda at the 2018 Asian Games besides also having a World Championships gold in his kitty.

Deepak Kumar

Deepak Kumar


A veteran rifle shooter from Delhi, Deepak Kumar is a Junior Commissioned Officer with the Indian Air Force. The 33-year-old has won multiple ISSF Shooting World Cup medals to go with his silver at the 2018 Asian Games. Deepak Kumar was also a part of the Indian contingent for the Tokyo Olympics.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar (Indian Express)


Sachin Tendulkar needs no introduction. Considered to be one of the greatest batsmen to have ever graced the game of cricket, Tendulkar was conferred with the rank of Group Captain at the Indian Air Force in the year 2010.


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