Neeraj Chopra's Military Honour: Why This Rank Means More Than Gold

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally conferred the gleaming insignia of Honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army upon Neeraj during the pipping ceremony in South Block, New Delhi, on Wednesday.

Interacting with Lt. Col (Hony) Neeraj Chopra and his family members, Singh described him as an epitome of perseverance, patriotism and the Indian spirit of striving for excellence, as per a release from the Ministry of Defence.

"Lt Col (Hony) Neeraj Chopra embodies the highest ideals of discipline, dedication and national pride, serving as an inspiration to generations within the sporting fraternity and the Armed Forces alike," said Rajnath Singh.

Now, taking to Instagram, Neeraj expressed his happiness at being given the honour and extended his thanks to the Union Defence Minister for the same.

"This is more than an honour - it is a responsibility towards my country. Thank you Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh ji and the Territorial Army for conferring upon me the honorary rank of Lt Col. Proud to wear this uniform. Jai Hind," posted Neeraj on his Instagram handle.

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Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and other senior officials of the Indian Army and Territorial Army were present on the occasion.

Enrolled in the Indian Army in 2016, Lt. Col (Hony) Chopra has served with The Rajputana Rifles of the Indian Army. Born on 24 December 1997 in Khandra village, Panipat district, Haryana, he has brought immense pride to the Nation and the Armed Forces through his remarkable accomplishments in international athletics.

The star javelin thrower created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. He continued his stellar performance by winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in 2023, becoming the first Indian to become a world champion in athletics.

He has also secured multiple gold medals at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Diamond League events. His personal best throw of 90.23 metres (2025) stands as a milestone in Indian sporting history.

Recently, Neeraj's stunning 26-event run of occupying either of the top two spots on the podium came to an end on a heartbreaking note with an 8th-place finish during his world title defence in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

Aside from this rare setback, the Indian superstar has enjoyed a successful 2025 season. He took the top honours in the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic, a competition named after him at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru in July. The then-javelin throw champion stood triumphant with 86.18m.

Neeraj kickstarted the season with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April and followed it up with a very special second-place finish at Doha Diamond League in May, where he crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time ever, with a throw of 90.23 m.

He also went on to secure a second spot in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month and resumed his winning ways with back-to-back titles at Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike, with best efforts of 88.16 m and 85.29 m.

In late August, Chopra's streak of top two finishes at events continued as he secured the second spot with the best throw of 85.01 m during the Diamond League final in Zurich.

- ANI