Neeraj Chopra honoured with Lt Colonel rank at pipping ceremony in New Delhi

Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra was formally honoured with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Honorary) in the Indian Army during a pipping ceremony held in New Delhi on October 22. The event was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, underscoring the national significance of the occasion.

According to The Gazette of India, Chopra’s appointment officially took effect on April 16. The javelin thrower joined the Indian Army as a Naib Subedar on 26 August 2016 and has steadily risen through the ranks, being promoted to Subedar in 2021 and Subedar Major the following year.

The 27-year-old athlete has been widely recognised for his contributions to Indian sport. He received the Arjuna Award in 2018, the Khel Ratna in 2021, and the Padma Shri in 2022. That same year, the Army conferred on him the Param Vishisht Seva Medal following his historic Olympic triumph at Tokyo 2020.

Chopra’s ceremony comes shortly after a rare dip in form at the World Athletics Championships, where he finished eighth with a best throw of 84.03 metres—his first finish outside the top two since 2021. Compatriot Sachin Yadav narrowly missed the podium, placing fourth with a throw of 86.27 metres.

Reflecting on his performance, Chopra admitted he had been struggling with back issues but accepted the result philosophically, saying it was “life and sport.” The setback ended a remarkable run of 26 consecutive podium finishes stretching back to the Kourtane Games in 2021, just before his Olympic gold.

Despite the recent disappointment, Wednesday’s ceremony reaffirmed Chopra’s stature as both a sporting icon and a symbol of national pride within the Indian armed forces.