Pune: Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the Neeraj Chopra Stadium at Army Sports Institute (ASI) on Friday.
The Defence minister visited ASI at the headquarters of Southern Command here, along with Chief of Army Staff Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane and Southern Army Commander Lt Gen. JS Nain.
Rajnath felicitated Olympians from the three services, including Tokyo Olympics gold-medallist Subedar Neeraj Chopra, before addressing the troops. He also interacted with budding sportsmen of Army Sports Institute.
“Felicitated Subedar Neeraj Chopra at the Army Sports Institute in Pune today for his amazing performance at Tokyo Olympics. He made the country proud by winning the Olympics Gold Medal. Now, the ASI has renamed the stadium after him. Wishing him success in his future endeavours.”
Neeraj made history at Tokyo on August 7 by topping the men’s javelin competition, thereby bagging India’s maiden athletics gold in the quadrennial Games and the first medal in track and field after a gap of 121 years.
Indian Army’s ‘Mission Olympics’ programme, launched in 2001, aims to identify and train promising sportspersons in 11 disciplines who can claim medals at the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza.
