Neeraj Chopra Receives Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Rank in Territorial Army

Rapid Summary

• Neeraj Chopra, two-time Olympic medalist and javelin thrower, has been conferred with the Honorary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial army.
• The official notification, published in the Gazette of India, came into effect on April 16, 2025.
• Major General GS Choudhry confirmed the appointment under Paragraph 31 of Territorial Army Regulations (1948).
• Neeraj was previously enrolled in the Indian Army as a Naib Subedar in August 2016 and promoted to Subedar rank in 2021.
• He holds notable honors like Khel Ratna, Padma Shri (2022), Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), and Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).
• Former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni was similarly conferred honorary ranks earlier by the Territorial army.

Upcoming Events for Neeraj Chopra:

1. Participation at Poland’s 71st Janusz Kusocinski Memorial Event: Competing against Anderson Peters (Grenada), julian Weber (Germany), and Marcin Krukowski among others.
2. Set to compete at Doha Diamond League on May 16.

The scheduled inaugural event “Neeraj Chopra Classic” at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium has been suspended due to India-Pakistan tensions.

!Read More