Neeraj Chopra Finishes Fourth in Doha Diamond League Return

Neeraj Chopra's Comeback at the Diamond League

Neeraj Chopra, a double Olympic medalist, faced a challenging return to competitive athletics at the Diamond League event in Doha, finishing in fourth place. This marked his first competition since the 2025 Tokyo World Championships, where he had been sidelined due to a back injury.

Chopra began his event with a foul throw but managed to record a distance of 82.77 meters on his second attempt, placing him fourth among the nine competitors. He improved on his third attempt, achieving a distance of 85.69 meters, which moved him up to third place.

The current world leader, Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who had previously thrown an impressive 92.62 meters in Rome, took the lead with a throw of 88.68 meters during the competition. This performance secured him the top spot, followed by two-time world champion Anderson Peters and Curtis Thompson from the USA.

Chopra's fifth attempt resulted in another foul, leaving him in fourth position overall. Unfortunately, he did not have a sixth attempt, as only the top three competitors are allowed a final throw.

Despite this setback, Neeraj successfully met the qualifying standard of 83.61 meters set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games. The AFI has already included him in the 32-member squad representing India at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games next month, although he must demonstrate his fitness in at least two competitions, as stated by AFI's chairman selection committee, Adille Sumariwalla.