Meet Lt Col Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2011
Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra were conferred the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army by Army Chief General VK Singh in New Delhi.

Dhoni and Bindra have been bestowed the honour for their outstanding contribution in the field of sports and their commitment to Army on various occasions.

'Dhoni has set an example by his discipline and supreme dedication. His leading the team from the front, remaining ultra cool in adversities, maintaining excellent physical standards, and giving all credit to his teammates, is very synonymous to the Army way of leadership,' Army spokesperson said.
'Bindra is youth icon and his qualities as a valiant fighter, dedication, hardwork, supreme concentration and perseverance are synonymous to an Army leader,' the spokesperson added.

'It's a real honour as I always wanted to be part of the Indian Army. It's (joining the Indian Army) something that I always wanted to achieve as a kid and now that I have donned the Olive Greens, my dream has been fulfilled,' said Dhoni later at a felicitation function.

Bindra had taken Indian sport to a new level when he won the only individual Olympic gold medal for India at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

'Dhoni and Bindra were pipped-in by Gen Singh at South Block today. Dhoni and Bindra have been commissioned as honorary Lt Col,' Army spokesperson said in Delhi.

Dhoni will be representing the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army while Bindra has joined a TA battalion of the Sikh Regiment.

As Brand Ambassador of the Indian Army, Dhoni will need to play a key role in strengthening the citizen-soldier bonds

West Indies selectors ignore Chris Gayle for India tour

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Chris Gayle has yet again been overlooked by the West Indies selectors while picking the squad for the three-Test series against India, starting in New Delhi Nov 6.

    The panel Monday decided to retain the 15-member squad currently playing in Bangladesh, with Lendl Simmons returning home to nurse a back injury.

    Gayle remains estranged from the West Indies side following his dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over his comments on a Jamaican radio station in May.

    The WICB has demanded an apology from Gayle for his remarks, but the opener refused, wanting to know what he should he apologise for.

    Gayle remains an enormously popular figure among West Indies fans, gaining loud cheers from spectators in Guyana, where he led Jamaica to the Clive Lloyd Trophy for winning the Regional Super50 tournament Saturday at the Guyana National Stadium.

    West Indies will thus persist with the young pair of teenager Kraigg Brathwaite and left-hander Kieran Powell with Adrian Barath considered fit enough to tour India.

    Barath remained with the team, recovering from the hamstring injury that sidelined him during the One-day International series in Bangladesh.

    The second Test is in Kolkata and the third in Mumbai followed by a five-match One-day series.

The squad:

 Darren Sammy (c), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford.

Sachin attends the Indian Grand Prix with wife

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