5 Indian soldiers who have made a name for themselves at the Olympics

2) Colonel Haripal Kaushik [Retired]

Colonel Haripal Kaushik - India's Sankatmochak, both in hockey and in war

Another unsung hero like Shankar Lakshman is Haripal Kaushik. He was a unique hero of his own kind. He was a warrior, both on the field as well off the field. Like Shankar Lakshman, he made his debut at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.

Haripal Kaushik further participated at the Rome Olympics in 1960. However, he was forced to settle for a silver medal. To make matters worse, he was called to action in the Indo China war of 1962.

Though he won a Vir Chakra for his actions, he was not too happy with that. He had lost many brave officers of his Sikh regiment. Some of them included Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his bravery in the same.

However, Haripal took them in his stride and prepared for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. An able defender, he was equally instrumental in denying Pakistan the crucial goals they needed for another gold medal against India at the Tokyo Olympics. Had it not been for him, India would not have won back her lost honor and her prestige against Pakistan at the Tokyo Olympics.