5 Famous Sports Personalities From Indian Armed Forces You Must Know

Everyone dreams of joining the Indian Army and defending their country. More than any other occupation, sports has a tight relationship with the military, and numerous athletes have received highly designated posts in the territorial army. But in addition to athletes, the army has also hired people in the fields of politics and acting.

Although it can be challenging, switching careers is healthy. However, did you know that many athletes, politicians, actors, and other well-known figures have not only brought honor to India in their respective fields but have also benefited the country? The list of well-known people who were appointed to senior positions in the Indian army is as follows

Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete. He is the reigning Olympic champion, World Championship silver medalist, and Diamond League champion in the javelin throw. He is the first Asian to win an Olympic gold medal in the men’s javelin throw. The Indian Army offered Chopra a direct appointment as a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Rajputana Rifles with the rank of Naib Subedar after being impressed by his performance at the South Asian Games and his future potential. He accepted the offer and enlisted under the sports quota.

M.S Dhoni 

We all know pretty much everything about MS Dhoni, including how he ended matches, his blazing-fast stumpings, and of course his keen cricketing insight that helped India win numerous games. But did you know that, together with Abhinav Bindra, the former captain of the Indian cricket team received the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in 2011?

Rajyavardhan Singh

Rathore Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won double trap shooting’s first-ever individual silver medal for India in Athens 2004. However, few are aware that Rathore served in the Indian Army and was commissioned as a member of the 9th Grenadiers (Mewar) Regiment in 1990. He then received a promotion to Lieutenant in 1992 before becoming a Major in 2000 and a Colonel in 2009 while participating in the Kargil conflict.

Deepak Punia

Naib Subedar Deepak Punia is an Indian freestyle wrestler and Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Indian Army who won a silver medal in the freestyle 86 kg category at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships and qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He was born in the Haryana district of Jhajjar. He is the current Commonwealth champion in his weight class. He won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Inam in the 86kg final.

Milkha Singh

We are all familiar with the tale of Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh who essentially made India a world power in the realm of track and field. Milkha, a four-time gold winner at the Asian Games, also took home the gold at the 1958 Commonwealth Games.His best effort, nevertheless, came at the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he came in fourth place in the 400-meter final. He also competed for India in the Olympics in 1956 and 1964. In 1959, he received the Padma Shri honor. In 1951, Milkha enlisted in the Indian military. Later, this sprinter represented India with pride in international forums. He received a commission to JCO from Sepoy after winning the Asian Games in 1958.