New Delhi [India], October 22 : The pipping ceremony of Olympic gold medallist and Lt. Colonel (Honorary) Neeraj Chopra will be held on Wednesday at noon, marking another significant milestone in his decorated career.
Chopra, a two-time Olympic medallist, was conferred with the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Army.
According to The Gazette of India, a weekly public journal and an authorised legal document of the Government of India (GoI), the appointment took effect on April 16.
Neeraj joined the Indian Army as a junior commissioned officer in the rank of Naib Subedar on August 26, 2016.
He was awarded the Arjuna Award for his exploits in athletics two years later and then received the Khel Ratna award for his performances in the field of sports in 2021.
Neeraj was also promoted to the rank of Subedar in 2021. Following his historic gold medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the 27-year-old Indian athlete was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, the highest peacetime honour of the Indian Army, in 2022.
He was promoted to the rank of Subedar Major in 2022, and the Indian javelin throw ace also became a recipient of the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, in the same year.
Chopra recently failed to defend his world title in javelin throw and finished in eighth spot with the best throw of 84.03 m in the World Athletics Championships, ending his 26-event streak of top two finishes.
His compatriot Sachin Yadav outclassed him with a fourth-place finish and fell short of a medal with the best throw of 86.27 m.