Indian fans hoping to finally watch Neeraj Chopra hurl the javelin again after a long gap will have to wait a little longer. The next stop on the Diamond League calendar lands in Doha on June 19, but it is now confirmed that the star thrower will not be on the start list. Still recovering from a back injury, Neeraj is currently putting in the hard yards in Switzerland, with his entire focus trained on the bigger assignments ahead — the Commonwealth Games and, after that, the Asian Games in Japan.
Building Back His Fitness
At Bienne in Switzerland, Neeraj has settled into a 47-day off-season training camp alongside his physio Ishan Marwah and coach Jai Choudhary, and the single aim of the block is to sharpen his fitness. Over the past few seasons, recurring fitness troubles have dogged him, and as a result his showing at some of the marquee events fell short of what supporters had expected. That is precisely why he is now pouring everything into getting his body right and rediscovering his old form.
What makes the timing notable is that Doha has been a special venue in Neeraj's career. At last year's Doha Diamond League he crossed the 90-metre barrier for the very first time, sending the javelin out to 90.23 metres and setting a national record in the process. Even so, the title that day went to Julian Weber, who came out on top with a throw of 91.06 metres.
The Man to Watch This Time
With Neeraj absent, the Doha contest is hardly short on intrigue — a tight battle could well unfold among the rest of the field. The biggest spotlight this time falls on Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, a former cricketer who turned heads with a huge 92.62-metre throw at the Rome Diamond League. The Mahrati Doha Diamond League 2026 will mark the seventh leg of the season's circuit. Rumesh, however, will be in for a stern test: alongside former world champion Anderson Peters, the likes of Keshorn Walcott and Julius Yego are ready to push him all the way.
