Opportunities In Sports After Joining NDA

Getting an entry in the NDA and being trained over there is a great opportunity to serve the nation with all the fervor. National Defense Academy creates world-class Officers to serve all the three Indian Armed Forces. The primary aim of the NDA is to produce physically fit warriors for the nation.

Opportunities In Sports After Joining NDA

As the army concentrates on the overall development of the cadets, they include sports activities also. As a rule, everyone who is in NDA has to pick at least a sport of his/her choice and practice it throughout the training period.

Some talent generation programs are readily supported by the NDA and this helps to promote the Indian sports.

NDA motivates its cadets to go to Olympics. Isn’t the selection in Olympics is a service of the nation in itself? Various types of sports are taught in NDA, which comprises both Indoor and Outdoor games.

The major sports included in the NDA training list are:

• Archery
• Basketball
• Shooting
• Hockey
• Football
• Horse Riding
• Volleyball
• Sailing
• Swimming
• Athletics
• Cricket
• Golf
• Lawn Tennis
• Squash
• Vault
• Rowing
• Table Tennis
• Table soccer
• Billiards

The list clarifies that NDA gives its cadet some of best-sporting facilities. If not interested from the beginning, a cadet may start to develop the interests in games like shooting, polo, horse riding, boxing etc.

Also See: 10 Remarkable NDA Alumni Who Made India Proud

If any cadet is super dedicated and in love with some sport, he can definitely pursue his/her career in a sport after the completion of the training.

But the cadet needs to show some exceptional qualities for it. Why will NDA, a National Defense Academy, will boost a sport if you are not exceptional in that?

If you look at the history of NDA you will find that NDA has produced many talented, sporty and disciplined sports players for the country. Some armed forces officer has touched remarkable heights in sports and has reached from the national level to Olympics.

Do you know, NDA itself has a remarkably good cricket stadium? After the training at NDA, you can join one of the Services team of the Indian Armed Forces.

The history shows that NDA’s primary focus is on Polo and Shooting. Why is it so? Well, it is because all the other sports like hockey, football, basketball, and cricket etc. requires team activities and the life of Army officer is such that they get frequent postings in different locations of India and they never stay together for long. Hence, maintaining a team at NDA is very difficult.

Be clear in your mind that there are opportunities in sports even after joining NDA. Let us look at the five best medal winners of NDA.

1. Shooting – Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

Rathore graduated from the NDA in early 90’s and served till 2013. After that, he took voluntary retirement from the Army. Rathore won Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, a gold medal at Commonwealth Games, Silver medal at Olympics and Vishisht Seva Medal (For Military excellence).

2. Athletics – Milkha Singh

The entry of ‘flying Sikh’ to the sport is a major achievement and reward for the NDA. Milkha Singh won a gold medal at the prestigious Athletics game event.

Milkha Singh was introduced to athletics during his service tenure in NDA. Milkha Singh has openly acknowledged the role of NDA and Army training in his overall development as an athlete.

In addition to the gold medal, Milkha Singh also won Asian Games gold medals, Commonwealth gold medal, and Olympic bronze medal.

3. Shooting – Jitu Rai

Jitu Rai was born in Nepal and he joined the 11 Gorkha Regiment in 2006. He joined as a sepoy and then reached the position of the Naib-subedar. Initially, Jitu Rai candidature for the Army shooting team was turned down by the selection team. But in the 2011 National Games, he proved his worth.

He then went on to win gold medals at Asian Games, World Cup, and Commonwealth Games. He also credits his sporting career to the army training.

4. Shooting – Vijay Kumar

Vijay Kumar won a silver medal in 2012 Summer Olympics. After that, he went on to win 2 gold medals, one in a competition of 25 m rapid fire pistol and another at Commonwealth Games in 2006.

He won the Bronze medal in Asian Games and silver at Asian Championship. He is still serving in the Indian Army as a Subedar Major in the 16^th Battalion.

5. Marathon – Ram Singh Yadav

Ram Singh Yadav is the only second marathon runner to have made a place in the Olympics from India. He reached the Olympics qualification mark in Mumbai Marathon and was selected in 2012 London Olympics on the basis of it. His best is still left to be achieved. We are hoping that he will soon get into the list of top 10 very soon.

Read: Entertainment and Facilities inside NDA College

Conclusion

One can pursue a career in sports after the NDA training if he has exceptional talent. The chances to achieve greater heights at an individual level are more than in a group.

The frequent posting around the country hinders the team practice for the army personnel. However, if any of the cadets show exceptional qualities in any of the sport, NDA surely helps him/her to groom by giving all the world-class facilities and training.