There is big news for Indian sports fans after a long wait. Javelin star Neeraj Chopra is set to step back into the field. He will make his competitive return at the Doha Diamond League scheduled for June 19. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 champion and Paris Olympics 2024 silver medallist had stayed away from every event since slipping to eighth place at the 2025 World Championship, which is why all eyes are now fixed on this comeback.
Why Doha Is the Perfect Stage
Chopra's name features in the javelin entries for the Doha Diamond League. This is the very venue where he sailed past the magical 90 metre mark last year, which is why the location is being seen as a lucky one for his return. The 28-year-old athlete from Haryana has left no stone unturned in his preparation. He is currently in Biel, Switzerland, training alongside his physio Ishaan Marwaha and coach Jai Chaudhary at a 47-day off-season camp.
One Condition on the Road to the Commonwealth Games
Chopra has been given a conditional place in the Indian athletics squad announced on Sunday. To compete at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, he will have to achieve the 82.61 metre qualification mark set by the Athletics Federation of India. If he takes part in the Games to be held in Glasgow next month, India will field a total of three javelin throwers in the challenge. Rohit Yadav and Yashvir have already booked their spots through the Indian Athletics Series 9.
Who Will Push Him in Doha
The contest in Doha will be anything but easy for Chopra. Reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago is also in the field. Joining him is Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who recently produced a powerful throw of 92.62 metres at the Rome Diamond League. Paris Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, however, does not appear on the entry list for this event.
The lineup features several other big names as well. Grenada's Anderson Peters will compete with his season best of 86.08 metres, while the United States' Curtis Thompson (85.33 metres) and the Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch (85.24 metres) will pose a stiff challenge too. The last time out in Doha, Chopra delivered an excellent throw of 90.23 metres, yet the title went to Germany's Julian Weber, who turned the contest around by hurling 91.06 metres on his sixth and final attempt.
