Flight Lieutenant Gurmeet Singh Sandhu (14786) Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical), who was commissioned in Indian Air Force on 03 Jan 77, has been on the posted strength of Headquarters Western Air Command (Unit), Air Force w.e.f. 16 Jun 80.

Flt Lt Sandhu has been an outstanding sportsman and has the rare distinction of representing the country in international competition in two games i.e., Basket Ball and Hand Ball. He captained the services team in National Basket Ball and Hand Ball championships winning both of them.

Flt Lt Sandhu represented India in the first Asian Youth Basket Ball championship at Seoul, South Korea in 1970. He was a member of the Services Basket Ball team from 1978 to 1981 and captained the Services team in 198081. He was a member of the Air Force Basket Ball team which had visited Bhutan on a good will visit on the invitation of His Majesty the King of Bhutan. Flt Lt Sandhu also represented India in the second Asian Hand Ball championship at Nanking, China in Oct-Nov 79. He was vice captain of the Indian Hand Ball team during the Asian Games held at Delhi in 1982 and also at the first International Hand Ball Tournament at Hyderabad in April, 1982. He has also the honour of winning seven consecutive National Gold Medals in the National Hand Ball Championships.

Apart from his personal achievements in sports, he has also, by his inspiring leadership, brought about tremendous improvements in the Basket Ball and Hand Ball teams of Western Air Command which resulted in the Command wining these two games in the last Air Force Sports meet. Due to his distinguished achievements towards the promotion of sports, he was adjudged the 'Best Sportsman of the year 1982' in the Indian Air Force and was presented the Chief of the Air Staff Trophy by then Prime Minister Shrimati Indira Gandhi in April, 1982.

Flight Lieutenant Gurmeet Singh Sandhu has not only brought laurels to the service in the field of sports but by his untiring efforts, personal example and fruitful guidance to the others has contributed to improvement in the standard of sports in the Air Force, the President is pleased to award him the Vishisht Seva Medal.