On 22 October 2025, Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra was conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army during a ceremony in New Delhi, attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi.
Mr. Singh praised Neeraj as a symbol of perseverance, patriotism, and excellence, inspiring both the sporting community and the Armed Forces.
Neeraj joined the Indian Army in 2016 as a Naib Subedar, later rising to Subedar Major. His accolades include the Arjuna Award (2018), Khel Ratna (2021), Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2022), and Padma Shri (2022), following his historic Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medal.
