NEW DELHI: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will lead a group of four Indians at the upcoming Doha Diamond League meeting on May 16 (Friday). Neeraj will be joined by javelin thrower Kishore Jena in the men’s javelin throw event while national record holder Gulveer Singh will be in action at the men’s 5000m event and national record holder Parul Chaudhary will compete in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
Besides Neeraj Chopra, 44 individual and relay medallists from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and 2023 World Athletics Championships will compete at the Doha meet, which is the third meeting of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League series.
Neeraj had claimed the Doha Diamond League title in 2023 thanks to a throw of 88.67m. He had finished second in 2024 with a throw of 88.36m. The Doha Diamond League will thus be Neeraj’s second event of 2025 after he had thrown 84.52m to finish on top at the Potchefstroom Invitational event in South Africa. Neeraj’s own event in Bengaluru, the Neeraj Chopra Classic on May 24, had to be postponed because of the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan. After Doha, Neeraj Chopra will be seen competing at the Ostrava Golden Spike 2025 athletics meet in the Czech Republic city on June 24.
Neeraj and Kishore Jena will compete against the likes of two-time world champion and Paris Olympics bronze winner Anderson Peters of Grenada, 2024 Doha winner Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, Julian Weber and Max Dehning of Germany, Julius Yego of Kenya and Roderick Genki Dean of Japan.
Organisers have confirmed that for the first time, athletes who set new meeting records in Doha (across all disciplines) will be awarded a $5000 bonus.
Men’s 200m: Letsile Tebogo (BWA), Olympic 200m champion and World Athlete of the Year.
Men’s high jump: Olympic champion Hamish Kerr (NZL) and former Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim (QAT).
Women’s steeplechase: Olympic champion Winfred Yavi (BRN), Paris silver medallist Peruth Chemutai (UGA), and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Faith Cherotich (KEN).
Women’s pole vault: Katie Moon (USA) and Alysha Newman (CAN), who won silver and bronze medals respectively at the Olympic Games in Paris
Men’s discus: Olympic discus bronze medallist Matt Denny (AUS), reigning world champion and former Olympic champion Daniel Ståhl (SWE) and 2022 world champion Kristjan Čeh (SLO).
Agencies