Sachin delighted with new IAF role

NEW DELHI: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar today found himself in the swarm of men in blue. He was not in the company of his cricket teammates. These were the air warriors who enthusiastically cheered beginning of batting maestro’s new innings as group captain of the Indian Air Force.

After air chief marshal P.V Naik conferred honorary rank on Tendulkar, who had smartly turned up in IAF’s sky blue uniform, the cricket legend revoked childhood memories surrounding Top Gun and his fascination for speed and fighter jets.

Immediately after getting the rank, the new brand ambassador had twin tasks at hand — defending cricket’s tarnished image and inspiring confidence in youngsters.

Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh praised Sachin’s immaculate conduct on the cricket field.

Sachin admitted he had limited association with IAF apart from the pair of aviators he had brought for the ceremony. He also revealed how he had once flown in a fighter jet during one of the tours to South Africa. Sachin flew in Impala, a South African jet trainer based and the pre-flight briefing on how to eject in case of an emergency terrified him.

He was now looking forward to fly in an IAF Sukhoi. The IAF has already drawn plan to make their honorary group captain fly in a

Sukhoi and earn his wings. The wings are given only to those who fly. Sachin’s IAF uniform will remain wings until he earns them.

He said Top Gun was only a film and IAF does it in real life. “It would be a delight to be part of the real experience,” he said. Sachin was immediately accepted into the fraternity by IAF officers and their wives who had come in large numbers to attend the ceremony.