From badminton court to blue uniform: Ananya Phadke commissioned as Flying Officer

3 min readUpdated: Jul 10, 2026 07:39 PM IST

Khelo India badminton gold medallist Flying Officer Ananya Phadke was awarded the President’s Gold Medal as the best all-round outgoing medical cadet and the Kalinga Trophy for the best overall academic record at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) on Friday.

Phadke was among 141 medical graduates commissioned into the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) during the 60th Batch Commissioning Ceremony at AFMC, which was reviewed by Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin.

According to Lt Gen Pankaj P Rao, Director and Commandant of AFMC, 112 graduates have been commissioned into the Indian Army, 12 into the Indian Navy and 17 into the Indian Air Force.

For Phadke, joining the Indian Air Force fulfills a long-held aspiration.

“I have great respect for the Armed Forces and the honour of wearing the uniform,” she said.

She said attending Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations while growing up inspired her to pursue a career in the Armed Forces.

A former student of Abhinav School and Fergusson College, Phadke balanced academics with competitive sport. In 2019, she won the gold medal in the Under-17 doubles category at the Khelo India Youth Games. Besides badminton, she also enjoys trekking and volleyball.

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“My years at AFMC are unforgettable,” she said, adding that staying curious, working hard and enjoying the learning process had helped her throughout her training.

Her parents, Dr Sachin Phadke and Dr Gautami Phadke, both dentists, said she had successfully balanced academics and sport while always being willing to take on new challenges.

Another emotional moment at the ceremony came for Col Jagmohan Goel, Colonel Training (Graduate Wing), who administered the oath to the graduating medical cadets, including his daughter Surgeon Sub Lieutenant Reshma Goel, who was commissioned into the Indian Navy.

“It is difficult to put my emotions into words. This is one of the proudest moments of our lives,” Col Goel said.

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“Every single moment of the parade was special and I cherished each one as I watched her march with confidence and dignity,” he added.

Only tri-services passing-out parade

AFMC’s commissioning parade is the only tri-services passing-out parade in the Indian Armed Forces, where officers joining the Army, Navy and Air Force graduate together on the same parade ground.

“That makes this ceremony truly special,” said Col Yadu Vir Singh, Professor in the Department of Community Medicine and Officer-in-Charge of the parade.

Responding to a question about cadets occasionally fainting during parades, Col Singh said trainees are taught preventive measures such as moving their toes, flexing their leg muscles and taking deep breaths while standing for long periods.

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“The calf muscles act like a peripheral heart, helping pump blood back to the brain,” he said.

He added that despite these precautions, prolonged standing and warm weather can sometimes cause cadets to feel light-headed. “Our medical teams are always on standby to respond immediately if required,” he said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .

Professional Background

Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.

Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.

Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.

Awards and Recognition

Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”

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Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.

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