Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra Conferred Honorary Rank Of Lieutenant Colonel
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday, October 22, conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel on Olympic javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra during a pipping ceremony at South Block in New Delhi.
The event was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi. The two-time Olympic medalist, with gold from Tokyo 2020 and silver from Paris 2024, received the honor for his contributions to sports and national pride.
This recognition continues the tradition of awarding military ranks to outstanding athletes like Sakshi Malik and Abhinav Bindra.
In a social media post, Rajnath Singh expressed his delight calling the gold-medalist ‘India’s outstanding sportsperson’. “Neeraj Chopra is an epitome of perseverance, patriotism and the Indian spirit of striving for excellence. Wishing him success in all his future endeavours,” the Defense Minister wrote on X.
Delighted to confer the insignia of Honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army upon Neeraj Chopra, India’s outstanding sportsperson and two-time Olympic medalist.
Neeraj Chopra is an epitome of perseverance, patriotism and the Indian spirit of striving for… pic.twitter.com/PASbKS2fpM
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 22, 2025
Read Also: Neeraj Chopra Clinches Silver; Loses Gold To Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem In Paris 2024
