Squadron Leader Thakadiyil Joseph Mathai was commissioned in December 1968 and has been on the posted strength of HQ Western Air Command as Sports Secretary since Mar 80. During his stewardship as the Sports Secretary, WAC sports teams made outstanding improvement. From the fourth position in 1979-80, the WAC teams improved their performance to win the Overall Championship Trophy in the year 1981-82, 1982-83 and 1983-84, i.e. for three years in succession. Ten Air Force Swimming records and seven Weight Lifting records were created by WAC sportsmen and three new Air Force weight lifting champions emerged during this period.

During the last sports season, of the eighteen sports events, WAC teams won eight events, including Aquatics and Volleyball Championships, after a lapse of twelve and eight years respectively. Sqn Ldr Mathai has trained and inducted a number of novices in the field of Weight lifting, Body Building, Wrestling, Volleyball, Football, Boxing and Aquatics and has brought them up to the Air Force standards.

Sqn Ldr TJ Mathai is in his own right one of the most outstanding sportsmen of the Air Force. He is the first body builder from the Air Force and the Services, who had the distinction of winning the coveted "Bharat Shri" title in 1962. Thereafter, he continuously won it five times and maintained exceptional standards of body building for over nine years. He has also won "Mr. Services" title seven times.

He successfully coached and captained the Air Force and the Services Body Building teams from 1961 to 1975 and from 1980 to 1983.

For his outstanding performance as a body builder and dedication to the cause of sports in the Air Force, the President is pleased to grant Vishisht Seva Medal to Squadron Leader Thakadiyil Joseph Mathai.