India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra is hopeful of clinching another medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
President Pratibha Patil had approved the grant of honorary commissions to the two illustrious sportspersons on Sep 13 in recognition of their achievements in their respective sports.
Dhoni led India to victory in the cricket World Cup earlier this year and was instrumental in taking the team to the top spot in Test rankings for the first time last year. He had also led the team to victory in the inaugural T20 World championship in 2007.
Bindra won the only individual Olympic gold medal for India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Along with the two sportsmen, the army also honoured Deepak Rao, a medical doctor by qualification but a martial arts specialist by choice, who got about 15,000 of the army troops trained in close quarter combat, with the rank of a Major.
While Dhoni and Deepak Rao were commissioned into the elite Para Regiment in the presence of the Colonel of the Regiment, Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, Bindra was welcomed into the Sikh Regiment by Lt. Gen. Sumer Singh, its Colonel of teh Regiment.
"I have got the maroon beret now, but I have to earn it," Dhoni said soon after, pointing out that becoming a member of the elite Parachute Regiment was not child's play and involved rigorous combat and airborne operations training.
"I will soon find time to go for my training, will meet with the soldiers on the borders and encourage youth to join the army," said Dhoni, who has earlier interacted with army personnel during visits to cantonments. He was asked by his wife Sakshi, how he would contribute to the army.
"Joining the Territorial Army and donning this uniform is a childhood dream come true for me," he added.
"I don't know what can be expected from me but I can only try and work very hard. I can only try and do my best, ensure that I put in my best efforts. Hopefully I can get the medal at the Olympic," said Bindra.
Bindra had clinched the London Olympic berth despite finishing a lowly eighth in the 10m air rifle event of the Shooting World Cup in Munich in June this year.
The ace marksman had won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics - a first for the country in the history of the Games in individual sport.
Bindra said that all the shooters who have qualified for the London Olympics are capable of winning medals.
"Shooters have done very well in the last few years for the country and won medals. All the shooters are capable of winning medals at the London Olympic," said the Khel Ratna and Arjuna awardee on the sidelines of a function on Tuesday.
A total of eight Indian shooters have qualified for the London event namely Gagan Narang, Hariom Singh, Sanjeev Rajput, Ronjan Sodhi, Annuraj Singh, Rahi Sarnoba, Vijay Kumar and Bindra.
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