New Delhi, Oct 22: The pipping ceremony of Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, who was conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Army, was held on Wednesday in New Delhi, marking another significant milestone in the decorated athlete’s career. The ceremony was attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi.
According to The Gazette of India, Chopra’s appointment as honorary Lt. Colonel took effect on April 16, 2025. The Indian javelin ace had joined the Army as a junior commissioned officer in the rank of Naib Subedar on August 26, 2016.
Chopra was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2018 for his achievements in athletics and went on to receive the Khel Ratna award in 2021 for his outstanding performance in sports. He was promoted to Subedar in 2021 and, following his historic gold medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the Indian Army in 2022. Later the same year, he was promoted to Subedar Major and also became a recipient of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.
Recently, Chopra failed to defend his world title in the World Athletics Championships, finishing eighth with a best throw of 84.03 metres, ending a remarkable 26-event streak of top-two finishes since the 2021 Kourtane Games, which immediately preceded his Tokyo Olympic gold. His compatriot, Sachin Yadav, finished fourth with a best throw of 86.27 m, narrowly missing a medal.
Following his performance, Chopra expressed surprise at the outcome, citing minor back problems, but acknowledged that it is “life and sports.” The last time the Indian star had finished outside the top three in an international competition was at the 2018 Continental Cup in Czechia, where he finished sixth. (Agencies)
