New Delhi, Oct 22: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra was formally conferred the rank of Honorary Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Army in a pipping ceremony held in New Delhi on Wednesday. The ceremony was attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi.
According to The Gazette of India, the honorary rank was effective from April 16. Chopra initially joined the Indian Army as a Naib Subedar on August 26, 2016, and has steadily risen through the ranks, earning multiple accolades along the way.
In recognition of his sporting achievements, he received the Arjuna Award in 2018 and the Khel Ratna Award in 2021. He was promoted to Subedar in 2021 and to Subedar Major in 2022. Following his historic Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold, Chopra was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the Army and also became a recipient of the Padma Shri in 2022.
Despite his recent eighth-place finish at the World Athletics Championships, where he recorded a best throw of 84.03m, Chopra’s extraordinary career includes a remarkable streak of 26 top-two finishes since the 2021 Kourtane Games. Speaking after the championship, Chopra cited minor back issues affecting his performance but said, “It is life and sports.”
The honorary rank acknowledges not only his contributions on the field but also his ongoing association with the Indian Army, cementing his status as one of India’s most decorated athletes and role models.