On Wednesday, Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal at the Olympics, was officially given the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. The Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, while felicitating Chopra, referred to him as "an epitome of perseverance, patriotism, and the Indian spirit of striving for excellence".

The ceremony marks a milestone in Neeraj Chopra’s military and sporting journey

The pipping ceremony at New Delhi's South Block featured Singh affixing the badge to Chopra's new honorary rank. Besides the Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, the event was graced by a number of top officers from the Indian Army and the Territorial Army. The official announcement of the promotion of Chopra recorded in The Gazette of India dates back to April 16, from where it is considered effective.

The association of Chopra with the Indian Army started after the induction of Naib Subedar on August 26, 2016. After his outstanding performance in the world athletics, he was elevated to Subedar in 2021. During these years, the 27-year-old has been accumulating in front of us a stunning array of awards among which are the Arjuna Award (2018) and the Khel Ratna (2021).

In 2022, the Army bestowed on him the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, its highest peacetime honour, following his groundbreaking gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In the same year, he was elevated to Subedar Major and conferred the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in India.

Most recently, at the World Athletics Championships, Chopra finished eighth with a best throw of 84.03 metres, marking a rare break in his 26-straight podium streak. His compatriot, Sachin Yadav, impressed with a throw of 86.27 metres, narrowly missing a medal. Chopra praised Yadav, calling him “the next big thing in Indian javelin.”

The honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel adds another milestone to Chopra’s remarkable journey, from a young army recruit to an Olympic champion, and now one of India’s most decorated sporting icons.