Javelin star Neeraj Chopra bestowed with large honour by Indian Military forward of season-opening occasion in Doha

Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra has been conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel within the Territorial Military, with the Ministry of Defence bestowing the honour on the two-time Olympic medalist with an announcement within the Gazette of India, the Authorities of India’s weekly journal, on Wednesday. The event comes two days earlier than the Doha Diamond League, by which Chopra will likely be making his first look of the 2025 season.

“No 3 (E) dated ninth Could 2025 in train of the powers conferred by Para -31 of the Territorial Military Laws, 1948, the president is happy to confer on sEx- Sub Maj Neeraj Chopra, PVSM, Padma Shri, VSM, Village & Submit Workplace Khandra, Panipat, Haryana with impact from 16 April, 2025,” learn an announcement from Main Basic GS Choudhry, Joint Secretary, Division of Army Affairs.

Revisiting Neeraj Chopra’s journey with the Indian Military

Chopra had beforehand held the rank of Naib Subedar with the Indian Military after enrolling as a Junior Commissioned Officer in 2016. He was later promoted to the rank of Subedar and Subedar Main in 2021 and 2024 respectively, the latter being the best rank for a junior commissioned officer.

Chopra had made historical past by profitable javelin gold
within the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, turning into solely the second Indian to win a person gold medal in addition to a monitor and discipline medal within the Olympics.

Three years later, he would stand on the rostrum as soon as once more, this time
profitable silver within the Paris Olympics
after ending runner-up to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem. Chopra thus turned solely the third Indian to win a medal in a number of editions of the Olympics, and has already cemented his legacy as India’s best athlete of all time.

Moreover Chopra, legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra – the one different Indian to win a person Olympic gold medal – was additionally conferred with the honour of Lieutenant Colonel, as was cricket icon MS Dhoni. Each Bindra and Dhoni obtained the honour in 2011.