Neeraj Chopra, a well-known athlete from India, has been awarded the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. In the Gazette of India, a weekly authorized publication of the Government of India, the Ministry of Defense made the statement on Wednesday.

After winning a historic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Chopra won a silver medal in the javelin throw at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, making him India’s most successful individual Olympian.

Chopra won a gold medal in Tokyo, becoming the first track and field athlete from India to do so. He finished second in the coveted Diamond League Final in Brussels at the end of the 2024 season.

“No 3 (E) dated 9 May 2025 in exercise of the powers conferred by Para 31 of the Territorial Army Regulations, 1948, the president is pleased to confer Honorary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in Territorial Army on Ex-Sub Maj Neeraj Chopra, PVSM, Padma Shri, VSM, Village & Post Office Khandra, Panipat, Haryana with effect from 16 April, 2025,” according to the Indian Gazette.

Prior to being promoted to Subedar in 2021 following his valiant actions in Tokyo, Neeraj had enlisted in the Indian Army on August 26, 2016, as a Junior Commissioned Officer with the rank of Naib Subedar.

Similar to the gold winner, a few other medalists from the quadrennial Games are Indian Army officers. Shooter Vijay Kumar was appointed honorary captain following his silver medal victory in 2012, while Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, was also given the title of Lt. Colonel.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among the most well-known athletes that have been awarded the honor. He was given the title of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army in 2011 for leading India to significant tournament victories, like as the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2007 T20 World Cup.