Print this article

Rajputana Rifles Hails Neeraj Chopra

October 14, 2022 12:24 IST

IMAGE: Javelin Champion Naib Subedar Neeraj Chopra is felicitated by Lieutenant General Codanda Poovaiah -- Colonel of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment -- at the RAJ RIF Regimental Centre in New Delhi on Thursday, October 13, 2022 on his return from Switzerland after winning the Diamond League 2022 Championship Trophy. Photograph: ANI Photo

Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra was felicitated by the Rajputana Rifles Regiment following his historic feat at the Diamond League Finals last month.

Neeraj became the first Indian to win a prestigious Diamond League Finals title in Zurich on September 9.

He began his event with a foul, but rose to the top spot with a throw of 88.44 metres -- his fourth career best -- in his second attempt, which turned out to be his winning effort.

He cleared distances of 88.00m, 86.11m, 87.00m and 83.60m in his next four throws.

IMAGE: Neeraj Chopra with General Cariappa and other officers of the Rajputana Rifles at the felicitation ceremony at the RAJ RIF Regimental Centre in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

Like Lieutenant General Codanda Poovaiah -- Colonel of the Rajputana Rifles Regiment -- who felicitated him, Neeraj too joined the Indian Army as a soldier in the 4 Rajputana Rifles, one of the Indian Army's oldest regiments.

Unusually, Neeraj was accorded the rank of naib subedar when he enlisted in the 4 RAJ RIF in 2016, a rank junior commissioned officers in the Indian Army ascend to after 20 years of service.

Rediff Sports