Sachin Tendulkar, who was conferred with the honorary rank of Group Captain in 2010, attended the celebration of the Air Force Day on their 87th anniversary at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar also paid tribute to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by tweeting, "On the occasion of Indian Air Force Day, best wishes to all. I thank all the soldiers and officers for always keeping India safe. Seeing the excitement regarding the Prime Minister Modi-initiated Swacch Bharat Mission, I hope India forever remains healthy, clean, and safe. Jai Hind".
During the celebration, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Tuesday led a formation of the MiG-21 Bison at Hindon Air Force Station. Tendulkar said in a tweet that, he "had goosebumps" seeing Abhinandan Varthaman lead the parade.
The Air Force Day is celebrated at Hindon base in presence of the Indian Air Force or IAF chief and senior officials of the three armed forces every year.
The IAF was founded on October 8, 1932, and has participated in several crucial wars and landmark missions.
Tendulkar had represented the nation in 200 Tests and 463 One-day Internationals (ODIs). He had also scored a massive 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs for India with a total of 100 centuries under his belt.
Tendulkar was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 1994. The 45-year-old is also a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (1997-98), Padma Shri (1999) and Padma Vibhushan in 2008.