Defence Min Rajnath Singh to felicitate Olympians from Forces on August 23 at ASI Pune

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will felicitate the Olympians from services at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) in Pune on Monday, August 23. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command Lieutenant General JS Nain will conduct the felicitation ceremony. All armed forces personnel who represented India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, including gold medalist javelin thrower Subedar Neeraj Chopra will be present at the event. 

The Defence Minister is also said to interact with several budding athletes of ASI and troops during his visit. Further, he will be visiting the headquarters of Southern Command. During his visit, he is also slated to name the stadium on the campus as 'Neeraj Chopra Army Sports Institute, Pune Cantonment'. 

Indian Army and sports

Indian Army has an integral connection with Indian sports and has always been its backbone for a long time. Starting from Major Dhyan Chand to Subedar Neeraj Chopra, many have touched milestones in the history of Indian Sports. The Indian Army's 'Mission Olympics' program, which was launched in 2001, aims to raise the standard of sports with the intent to win medals in international events, including the Olympics.

Image Credit: PTI