Double Olympics medallist Neeraj Chopra’s much delayed return to competition at the Diamond League in Doha did not play out as he would have wished for as he finished fourth.
Neeraj, who was competing for the first time since the 2025 Tokyo World Championships having been side-lined by a back injury, started with a foul attempt on Friday. He then registered 82.77 metres in his second to go fourth in the nine-man field. His third was an improved attempt and he cleared 85.69m to go third.
Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, the world leader this year with a mammoth throw of 92.62m registered in Rome, then recorded his biggest attempt of the night and cleared 88.68m to go in the lead. This attempt was enough for the Sri Lankan to finish first ahead of two-time world champion Anderson Peters and USA’s Curtis Thompson on the podium.
Neeraj’s fifth and final attempt was a foul throw that placed him fourth on the standings. He did not get the sixth and final attempt in Doha as rules stipulate that only the first three in standings will get the final throw.
However, not all is lost for Neeraj as he cleared the qualifying mark of 83.61m set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The AFI has already included him as part of the 32-member team that would represent India at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games next month, albeit with a rider.
Neeraj, as per AFI’s chairman selection committee Adille Sumariwalla, was given permission to prove his fitness in at least two competitions.
