Two time Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. The pipping ceremony was held in New Delhi today in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. They officially promoted Chopra by placing his new rank insignia on his uniform.
Interacting with Lt Col Neeraj Chopra and his family members, Mr Singh described him as an epitome of perseverance, patriotism and the Indian spirit of striving for excellence. The Defence Minister said, Lt Col Neeraj Chopra embodies the highest ideals of discipline, dedication and national pride, serving as an inspiration to generations within the sporting fraternity and the Armed Forces alike.
Neeraj Chopra joined the Indian Army as a junior commissioned officer in the rank of Naib Subedar in August 2016. He was awarded the Arjuna Award two years later and then received the Khel Ratna award for his performances in the field of sports in 2021. Neeraj was also promoted to the rank of Subedar in 2021. After his historic gold medal in Tokyo 2020, the 27-year-old Indian athlete was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, the highest peacetime medal of the Indian Army in 2022. He was promoted to the rank of Subedar Major in 2022 and also became a recipient of the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in the country, in the same year.
