Neeraj Chopra return set for Doha Diamond League on June 19 after back injury

Neeraj Chopra is set to return to competition at the Doha Diamond League on June 19. The announcement ended weeks of uncertainty around the season schedule.

Chopra has not competed this year due to a back injury. The update came from the management firm, Vel Sports, in an Instagram post.

Vel Sports wrote, "First throw of 2026 lands in Doha! Neeraj Chopra returns to competitive action on June 19". Chopra also posted, "See you in Doha," on Instagram. Chopra has been training at Switzerland’s Olympic Centre. The training is part of preparation for the rest of the season.

Doha Diamond League return for Neeraj Chopra

Chopra was a late addition to the Doha field. Chopra’s name was missing from the organisers’ list released on June 12. The revised list later included Chopra for the nine-man javelin event. The Doha meet was planned for May 8, but it was postponed. Organisers delayed it due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem was announced for the event on June 12. However, Arshad Nadeem did not appear in the latest list of competitors. The updated entry list instead showed Chopra among the confirmed athletes. The change altered expectations for a head-to-head meeting in Doha.

Doha Diamond League field for Neeraj Chopra

Chopra will face Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage in Doha. Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage leads the season after a 92.62m throw. That mark came at the Rome Diamond League on June 4. The Doha field also includes reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott. Keshorn Walcott represents Trinidad and Tobago.

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada is also listed. The line-up further includes Curtis Thompson, a World Championships bronze medallist from the USA. Kenya’s Julius Yego is part of the group as well. Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch is another key contender in the competition.

The remaining athletes in the field are Mohamed Huseein Ahmed Sameh of Egypt and Artur Felfner. The event list shows a total of nine competitors. Chopra enters the meet after weeks of recovery work. The June 19 start will mark Chopra’s first competitive appearance of 2026.

Doha Diamond League history and Neeraj Chopra targets

Doha has been a key venue for Chopra in the past. In May last year, Chopra crossed the 90m mark at the same stadium. Chopra threw 90.23m and finished second. Germany’s Julian Weber won that event with 91.06m. The earlier result added attention to Chopra’s return there.

Chopra was also named in India’s athletics squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. The selection was subject to meeting the Athletics Federation of India qualifying standard. The required mark is 82.61m, as set by the AFI. Chopra’s Doha outing will be watched with that benchmark in mind.

With inputs from PTI