Previously, Neeraj Chopra first made his appearance in the Doha Diamond League in 2018, where he finished fourth with an effort of 87.43m. The star Indian athlete will yet again aim for the title in the Doha Diamond League
Neeraj Chopra (Pic: File Pic)
Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will kickstart his Diamond League campaign with an aim of defending his world championship crown.
Chopra will clash against two-time world champion and 2024 Olympics bronze-winner Anderson Peters of Grenada, Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia, who won here in 2024, the German duo of Julian Weber and Max Dehning, Kenya's Julius Yego and Roderick Genki Dean of Japan.
The 27-year-old athlete has been competing with these names in major events for a while now. The Paris Olympics 2024 winner, Arshad Nadeem, is the only notable absentee among the big names.
Neeraj's fellow countryman, Kishore Jena, will also be one of the 11 competitors.
Also Read: "A quick volley?": Jannik Sinner asks Pope Leo XIV
Jena (Personal Best: 87.54m) competed here in 2024 as well, finishing ninth with a throw of 76.31m. Vadlejch won here with a best throw of 88.38m while Chopra was 2cm behind with 88.36m. Peters was third with 86.62m.
Previously, Neeraj Chopra first made his appearance in the Doha Diamond League in 2018, where he finished fourth with an effort of 87.43m.
Later, after winning the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the veteran clinched the DL titles in 2023 (88.67m) and finished second in 2024 (88.36m). The star Indian athlete will yet again aim for the title in the Doha Diamond League.
"I'm always overwhelmed by the support I get from the Indian people in Qatar - there aren't enough words to thank them," said the 27-year-old who is now coached by world record-holder and multiple-time Olympic champion Jan Zelezny of Czechia.
Chopra, who has a personal best of 89.94m, is looking to hit the 90m mark, something that Zelezny did for fun in his prime, with the best being a jaw-dropping 98.48m.
Ahead of the league, Chopra opened up on his strengths by saying consistency is more important to him than chasing the number.
"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 concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
