India’s Javelin star Neeraj Chopra will be missing out on the Doha Diamond as he is still recuperating from a back injury. Chopra, who was absent from the Rome leg as well, will not be on the star-studded roster for the Doha campaign and is currently in Bienne, Switzerland, for a 47-day off-season training camp.
The training camp holds importance as he looks to regain full fitness ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games this year. At the training, Neeraj is accompanied by long-time physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha and coach Jai Choudhary.
In Neeraj’s absence, Sri Lankan world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage would headline the field which features Paris Olympics gold medallist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago along with former two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, and world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson of the USA.
Doha Diamond League was where Neeraj created history
The Doha Diamond League in 2025 was the tournament where Neeraj breached the 90m mark for the first time. He was favourite to win the league but Julian Weber of Germany responded with 91.06m on his sixth and final throw to snatch the win from the jaws of defeat. Wishes had poured in from all spheres after this performance. However, the 28-year-old has been on the sidelines in the recent times, having missed the Rome league.
In Neeraj’s absence, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage won the leg with a a world-leading throw of 92.62m. It set a new meet record and a national record in the process. He also surpassed Neeraj Chopraโs record, who hit the 90.23-metre mark in Doha.
Pathirage on upcoming Doha meeting
Pathirage is looking forward to the Doha meeting now. “Competing against the world’s best athletes is a dream come true for me and I’m incredibly excited to line up in Doha where we’ve witnessed many memorable javelin competitions over the years,” said the 23-year-old former cricketer, who made his Diamond League debut in Rabat in May.
“I’m in a good place right now both physically and mentally and I’ve got big goals ahead. The conditions in Doha are great for javelin throwers and if everything falls into place we can expect to witness more incredible performances.”
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