Cadet Ashok Pathak: The Quiet Force of Excellence



“Some men chase glory. Some men become it.”

Firstly, why I chose to write the blog. Well, I love to write on inspiring stories and what better subject than Brig Pathak, to be inspired by. 

In my unit, on commission, there were many officers who inspired me. But, honestly I was in awe of two. One of course is Gen Ajai and then there is Brig Pathak. Each officer has shaped me differently. While I can write 100 such blogs on the many who carved me out in my early career but today it’s about Brig Pathak. 

I did some staff work. Hunted around and got in touch with NDA. The Col A, Sqn Cdrs etc. I even tried to coax him into sharing some anecdotes but he is too shy and left it to me. You all know my love for writing blogs. So here it is. My humble tribute to him. 

Among the many who passed through the hallowed corridors of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Cadet Ashok Pathak stood apart. Not because he demanded attention but because excellence followed him naturally.

The Making of a Sportsman

Recently, there were many WhatsApp chats  circulating on NDA Cadets getting blues and blazers. It caught my attention. Then, I decided to do some research on Brig Pathak himself. 

At NDA, sport is not a pastime. It is character forged in sweat. He wasn’t just “good at games.” He embodied sporting excellence.

He earned the prestigious Blazer in Hockey, a mark reserved for one with consistency and grit. And that was just the beginning.

He went on to secure Blues in,

  • Hockey
  • Cricket
  • Cross Country
  • Water Polo
  • Squash
  • Tennis

To win a Blue in one discipline is commendable. To win it in six is extraordinary.

It speaks of endurance, versatility, discipline and an athlete who refused to be boxed into a single arena. Whether it was the mud of cross country, the tactical precision of squash, the strategy of cricket or the physical intensity of water polo,  he just excelled. He was not just playing games. He was mastering dimensions of himself.




Beyond the Academy – The Athlete in Uniform

Many shine in training. Few sustain that fire in service. Even during his military career, he continued to collect awards and medals in athletics, hockey, football and racquet games. His excellence was not seasonal, it was habitual.

And then came another chapter -  Golf. Golf reveals temperament. It demands patience, calculation, emotional regulation. It is less about strength and more about composure. His outstanding performances in golf reflected exactly who he was always calm, measured and mentally razor-sharp.

The Man Behind the Medals

But medals alone don’t define greatness.

Those who knew him remember something even more valuable, 

  • A cool demeanour under pressure
  • A jovial spirit that lifted others
  • A deep and enviable acumen for military strategic thinking

He was/is  the kind of officer who could think several moves ahead on the field and in operational planning. The same clarity that read a hockey formation could read a battlefield map. The same calm that lined up a golf putt steadied men in tense situations on a sand model or a lecture in NBC faculty in CME. That combination is rare.

Why He Remains an Inspiration

In military life, legends are not made only in war rooms. They are made on playing fields, in cross country runs at dawn, in quiet leadership moments and in the way a man carries himself.

Cadet Ashok Pathak represented that complete officer, the sportsman, the strategist, the steady friend. His journey reminds us that excellence is not accidental. It is a habit. A way of being. And that is why we do not merely remember him. We look up to him. Even today, he is an epitome of an officer and a gentleman. Poised, calm and warm. 

He remains our inspiration -  not just for what he achieved but for how he achieved it.

He continues to inspire me.


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