New Delhi: Regaining the title he won in 2023 will be the No.1 aim of Neeraj Chopra when he opens his Diamond League campaign in Doha on Friday. Chopra won the title in Qatar’s capital two years ago with a best throw of 88.67m, but failed to defend the crown in 2024 after finishing second behind Jakub Vadlejch’s effort of 88.38m.
The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist will again face off against a formidable field of arch-rivals, including 2024 Olympics bronze-winner Anderson Peters of Grenada, Vadlejch of Czechia and the German duo of Julian Weber and Max Dehning.
Chopra will be aiming to make a perfect start to the season and build momentum in his quest to defend the world championship crown later this year.
The 2024 Paris silver medallist will hope to make the sizeable crowd support in Doha count in his favour against some of the best javelin throwers in the world.
Chopra has had a taste of the fierce rivalry in this field at major competitions for a while now. However, Pakistan’s 2024 Paris Olympics gold-winner Arshad Nadeem, who stunned his Indian counterpart in the French capital last year, is not participating in the marquee event.
Asian Games silver medallist Kishore Jena is one of the 11 competitors. Jena, who enjoyed a stellar season in 2023, has struggled with form in recent tournaments. The Kerala athlete, who has a Personal Best of 87.54m, competed in Doha last year as well but finished ninth with a throw of 76.31m.
Vadlejch enters the event as the defending champion. He won the 2024 title after edging past Chopra and Peters.
Chopra, the Olympic gold and silver medallist, first participated in the Doha Diamond League in 2018 when he finished fourth with a best throw of 87.43m.
Chopra overwhelmed by support in Doha
Ahead of the season opener in Doha, Chopra sounded excited to perform in front of the large Indian community in Qatar.
“I’m always overwhelmed by the support I get from the Indian people in Qatar – there aren’t enough words to thank them,” said Chopra.
The 27-year-old is now coached by world record-holder and multiple-time Olympic champion Jan Zelezny of Czechia. Despite winning all the big titles and medals, the 90m mark still eludes the world and Olympic champion. Even though Chopra admitted that he doesn’t chase a number, the 90m hoodoo is likely to subconsciously play in his mind continuously till it is broken.
The association with Zelezny, who holds the record for the biggest javelin throw (98.48) in history, is Chopra’s best chance to breach the 90m barrier.
“I know the fans expect big things from me when I compete here – and with good conditions and a great atmosphere, that’s definitely possible – but I pride myself on my consistency, which I believe is one of my greatest strengths. For me, that’s more important than just chasing a number,” he added.
Other Indian participants
National record-holders Gulveer Singh and Parul Chaudhary will participate in the men’s 5000m and women’s 3000m steeplechase events, respectively. This is India’s maximum representation ever in a Diamond League meet.
National record-breaker in 5000m and 10,000m, Singh will aim to make a big impact on his Diamond League debut. Chaudhary participated in Eugene DL in May 2024, finishing a lowly 16th.
Five Doha participants – Peters, Yego, Dean, Chopra and Jena – were set to face each other in the inaugural NC Classic in Bengaluru on May 24, but that event was cancelled in the aftermath of the military conflict between India and Pakistan.
Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra will be eyeing a perfect start to the season in the Diamond League season opener in Doha. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
