Neeraj Chopra, a renowned Indian athlete, has been awarded the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. This recognition, announced in The Gazette of India, was effective on April 16, 2025. People celebrate Chopra&#8217;s contributions to Indian sports, and this military title adds to his impressive list of achievements.
Neeraj&#8217;s journey with the military began on August 26, 2016, when he joined the Indian Army as a Naib Subedar. His success in various competitions, including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games">Commonwealth</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Asian_Games">Asian Games</a>, earned him the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arjuna_Award">Arjuna Award</a>. As he excelled in both sports and his military career, he received several accolades, such as the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khel_Ratna_Award"> Khel Ratna</a> and the Vishisht Seva Medal. In 2021, they promoted him to Subedar, and the following year, he received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, which the Indian Armed Forces awarded as the highest peacetime honor. Most recently, he achieved the rank of Subedar Major in 2022.
<h2 data-start="1261" data-end="1296">Neeraj Chopra, On and Off the Field</h2>
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Neeraj&#8217;s story, starting from his hometown of Khandra in Panipat, Haryana, to shining on the global stage, is nothing short of amazing. He made headlines at the <a href="https://www.kreedon.com/2020-olympics-medal-hopes-india">Tokyo 2020 Olympics</a> by winning India&#8217;s very first gold medal in athletics, a moment of pride for the nation. He continued to build on his legacy by earning a silver medal at the <a href="https://www.kreedon.com/rishabh-pant-to-give-cash-award-if-neeraj-chopra-wins-gold-at-paris-2024-olympics">2024 Paris Olympics</a>, making him only the third Indian athlete to bag more than one Olympic medal, following in the footsteps of Sushil Kumar and PV Sindhu.
Alongside his achievements in sports and military honors, Neeraj is preparing for an exciting season ahead. His 2025 season kicks off this Friday at the <a href="https://www.kreedon.com/neeraj-chopra-set-for-doha-diamond-league-return">Doha Diamond League</a>. After that, he&#8217;ll head to Chorzów, Poland, on May 23 for the 71st Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet, which is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour.
Additionally, Neeraj will compete again at the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet on June 24 in the Czech Republic, looking to bounce back strongly after missing the last two because of an injury.
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Neeraj Chopra Promoted to Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Ahead of 2025 Season