This Article is From Sep 03, 2010

Group Captain Sachin Tendulkar

New Delhi: The Air Force has conferred the honorary rank of Indan Air Force Group Captain on Sachin in recognition of his achievements as an Indian and a cricketer.

Accepting the Air Force's honour, Sachin described it as "the greatest honour being bestowed on me...we all want to at some stage touch the sky. " 

He also said he liked wearing aviator glasses after watching Tom Cruise in Top Gun. 

"As a teenager, I was fond of fighter planes, super bikes.  But I had the privilege of getting into a fighter plane in 1996 in South Africa...I have never revealed this before but I was really scared."

In June, a formal statement from Rashtrapati Bhawan said   "as the supreme commander of the armed forces of India", President Pratibha Patil had decided to include Sachin "under the provision of grant of honorary rank by armed forces to eminent personalities acknowledging their contribution towards the nation."

Tendulkar will function like a brand ambassador, and is expected to inspire many young men and women to join the air force.


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