Indian Neeraj Chopra (PTI Photo)
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra’s long-awaited return to competition ended with a fourth-place finish at the Doha Diamond League 2026 on Friday, while Sri Lanka’s Romesh Tharanga Pathiraj continued his remarkable rise with wins in high-quality competition. In his first appearance in nearly eight months after recovering from a back injury, Chopra showed flashes of his best form but ultimately failed to reach the podium. The 28-year-old set a season-opening best of 85.69m on his third attempt, which ultimately left him fourth in the final standings. The evening did not start smoothly for the former Olympic champion. Chopra opened with an errant throw before gradually settling into the rhythm.
Shaking off the rust, he produced his best in the third round, with a throw of 85.69 metres, which briefly lifted him into the top three. He followed it up with an 83.45m attempt in the fourth round and remained firmly in contention heading into the fifth round. However, with the leading trio passing the 85m mark, Chopra needed a throw of over 86m to maintain his place in the top three and advance to the final round.
Instead, he scored another foul, ending his challenge and falling to fourth place as only the top three competitors advanced to the deciding final attempts. Although the result fell short of his expectations, Chopra still achieved an important goal. His 85.69m effort comfortably surpassed the Athletics Federation of India’s Commonwealth Games qualifying standard of 82.61m, boosting his preparations for the Glasgow 2026 Games.
The Indian star has already been selected in the country’s 32-man squad for the games scheduled from July 23 to August 2. At the top of the standings, Patiraj once again emphasized why he is the current world leader. Following his stunning throw of 92.62m at the Rome Diamond League earlier this month, the Sri Lankan hit a winning 88.68m to secure the title. Anderson Peters from Grenada ranked second with a best distance of 86.38 metres, while American Curtis Thompson ranked third with a distance of 85.99 metres. For Chopra, the Doha match was an encouraging first step after a long absence due to injury. Although a podium finish will be tough, the Indian javelin champion has shown enough promise to suggest he will be a major contender as the season progresses towards the Commonwealth Games and other major tournaments later this year.
