"Singh Is King”: Kiwi-Indian Duo Joins Ranks Of NZ Army

Donning a dark green pagdi, a military uniform, and holding a rifle, Navdeep Singh stands tall at attention with a determined gaze. He has just been inducted into the New Zealand Army.

At just 26, Navdeep has marked a proud moment for his family back in India and fulfilled a lifelong aspiration. 

“You need to be a resident to enroll in the New Zealand Army. Ever since I came here in 2015, I started working towards my dream,” says Navdeep.

With a background in Business Management from Christchurch, Navdeep is currently serving as a logistics specialist in the Army. 

Hailing from Jammu & Kashmir, India, he grew up in an Army Cantonment area, studying in Army schools, which influenced him to join Army. 

Photo: Navdeep Singh/Supplied

“My father was in Defence, which also added to my fascination with the Army. I admire their discipline,” Navdeep adds.

His family back home is “immensely proud” of their son’s achievement.

Navdeep is not the only one who caught the attention of every Kiwi-Indian on graduation day from the NZ Army. 

The relatively young Japman Singh Sidhu was also enlisted in the New Zealand Army as a soldier on the same day. 

Photo: Navdeep Singh/Supplied

The news of their enlistment has been met with great pride and celebration within the Kiwi-Indian community. Messages of support and admiration have flooded social media platforms, highlighting the achievements of these two young men. As they begin their military careers.

WhatsApp groups and Kiwi-Indian Facebook pages were abuzz with messages like “Another Singh is King,”  praising the two Singhs for upholding the true values of Sikhism and demonstrating unwavering loyalty to the country. Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand also congratulated the young men for their achievements.

“Japman actively participates in community work like cleaning, cooking, and helping at the Gurudwara. He has a zeal to help the community,” says Japman’s father, Jagjit Singh who is Licensed Immigration Adviser. 

Japman’s grandfather served in the Indian Army, which has also influenced his career choice.

Photo: Japman Singh with his family/Supplied

Just 18 years old, Japman plans to pursue advanced studies to achieve higher ranks within the New Zealand Army. The journey of success for both Singhs has come with a lot of focus, physical training, rounds of examinations, and unwavering commitment.

For Navdeep, who had a restaurant business along with his cousin, he had to take out time at nights for his physical training. 

“Last year I cleared the aptitude exam, which included mathematics, English, and science tests. The second part of the ladder was medical, and the third was a physical test.”

Photo: Japman Singh with his family/Supplied

For Japman, his father Jagjit helped him in physical training and aptitude tests.

“He was a sporty kid from the beginning. Japman has participated in New Zealand Sikh games and loves to play soccer,” says Jagjit Singh.

For Japman, his father hopes he will pursue higher education and advance in the ranks within the Army, as he has always been "bright in academics."