The double Olympic medalist, Neeraj Chopra, has become the last Indian sports icon to be granted to the honorary grade of Lieutenant-Colonel in the territorial army. Chopra previously held the rank of Naib Subedar in 2016 and was then promoted to Subedar and Subedar Major in 2021 and 2024 respectively.
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The star of the Indian javelin Neeraj Chopra was conferred on the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the territorial army, the Ministry of Defense granting honor to the double Olympic medalist with an announcement in the Gazette of India, the Government of the Indian government on Wednesday. Development occurs two days before the Doha Diamond League, in which Chopra will make its first appearance of the 2025 season.
“No 3 (e) dated May 9, 2025 in the exercise of the powers conferred by the paragraph -31 of the regulation on the territorial army, 1948, the president is happy to take care of the sex – Subdi Maj Neeraj Chopra, PVSM, Padma Shri, VSM, Village & Post Office Khandra, Panipat, Haryana with effect, April 16, 2025 Department of Military Affairs.
Revisit Neeraj Chopra’s trip with the Indian army
Chopra had previously held the rank of Naib Subedar with the Indian army after registered as a junior commission officer in 2016. He was then promoted to the rank of Subedar and Subedar Major in 2021 and 2024 respectively, the latter being the highest rank for a commissioned junior officer.
Chopra had marked history by winning gold javelin at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, becoming only the second Indian to win an individual gold medal as well as an athletics medal at the Olympic Games.
Three years later, he would stand again on the podium, this time by winning money at the Paris Olympic Games after finishing finalist in Arshad Nadeem in Pakistan. Chopra has therefore only become that the third Indian to win a medal in several editions of the Olympic Games, and has already cemented its heritage as the greatest athlete in India of all time.
In addition to Chopra, the legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra – the only other Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal – was also conferred with the honor of Lieutenant -Colonel, just like the cricket icon Ms. Dhoni. Bindra and Dhoni received the honor in 2011.
