The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Combined skill display marks OTA cadets, senior officers show

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Combined skill display marks OTA cadets, senior officers show

Staff Reporter

Paradroppers jump out an aircraft from a height of 1,200 feet

DAREDEVILRY: Members of the ASC Tornadoes demonstrating their skills at the Officers Training Academy on Friday. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM: Para droppers jumping out an aircraft from a height of 1,200 feet, dare devilry on motorcycles by the world-famous Tornadoes, demonstration of karate skills by cadets and equestrian events were the highlights of the combined display at the Officers Training Academy on Friday.

On Saturday morning, 311 cadets of the OTA will pass out, marking the entry of the young men and women into the Indian Army and their commissioning as officers. And as a prelude to the parade, the young men and women displayed their skills in cultural events, karate and parasailing.

At 7 a.m. sharp on Friday, the combined skill display events commenced with a team of the cadets and officers on their horses and competing in equestrian and tent pegging events.

Some even outclassed their senior officers who trained them, drawing applause from the audience, comprising mostly of the proud parents and a host of officers.

Officers and men of the Army jumped from an AN-32 aircraft and descended gently at the venue of the event on their parachutes. During their demonstration of karate, the cadets showed no sense of fear as they kicked, elbowed and used their head to break sheets of ice and bricks.

The cadets also took to the skies in the parasailing event.

However, it was the team of the world famous Tornadoes on their motorcycles that hogged the limelight. Balancing skilfully on the petrol tank, handle bar, rear seat, mudguard and atop a ladder, they rode past the audience saluting them.

Talking to reporters after the events, Major General K.K. Kohli, Commandant of the OTA, said the cadets were put through a rigorous training programme.

Lady cadets matched the performance of the men `step by step'. Mr. Kohli said plans were on to improve infrastructure so that 700 cadets could be trained a year from 2007 onwards.

At present more than 600 cadets passed out of the Academy every year. On Saturday, 311 cadets - 67 of them women and one each from Lesotho and Seychells - would pass out.

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