'Teach me how to fight': UAE president's special request to Indian pilot Smit Machchhar goes viral, head injuries visible for first time

A moment from the event to honour Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has gone viral. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II to Machchhar and the crew members of flydubai for their courage during a cockpit attack on September 30. After honouring the Indian captain, the UAE President shared a warm embrace and lightheartedly offered to set up a jiu-jitsu session when he is completely healed. The light-hearted moment went viral online. The UAE holds prominent global status in the sport of jiu-jitsu.

In the video, the UAE President asks when Captain Smit Machchhar would heal, he says: "Maybe in two months.” To this, Zayed Al Nahyan responded: “I have an idea… When you heal, I want to have a session with you to train you how to fight.” Captain Smit Machchhar breaks into a chuckle at the light-hearted exchange before telling Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, “It’s my biggest honour.”

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During the interaction, Machchhar's head injuries from the axe wounds and stitches was also visible - for the first time. It offered the public its first look at the extent of Captain Machchhar's severe injuries. The axe attack had fractured Machchhar's skull, forcing bone fragments inward toward his brain tissue. Alongside the critical head wounds, he suffered stab wounds, severe trauma to his hands and limbs, and injuries across his chest and upper abdomen. Immediately after the emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Machchhar was rushed into intensive, multi-hour surgery where teams meticulously reconstructed his fractured skull. Following his initial surgeries, he was transferred to a specialised facility in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for advanced neurological observation and post-trauma care.

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Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited him to light a torch at Israel’s Independence Day celebrations alongside Indian pilot Machchhar. In a post on X, Netanyahu said Modi thanked him for the invitation and highlighted the close ties between the two countries. “Spoke with my friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and invited him to light the torch alongside a brave Indian pilot on Israel’s Independence Day,” Netanyahu wrote. He added that PM Modi had said India and Israel were fighting terrorism together “on land and in the air” and had praised their strong, decades-old relationship.