NEW DELHI: Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra will finally return to competition at the Doha Diamond League on Friday night, marking the start of his 2026 season after a prolonged injury layoff that delayed his comeback and forced him to focus extensively on rehabilitation and recovery.
The 28-year-old has not competed since the World Championships in Tokyo last year, when a lower back injury severely hampered his performance and saw him finish a disappointing eighth with a best throw of 84.03m. Looking back, Chopra admitted that competing in Tokyo may not have been the right call.
“I had an injury before the World Championships. We worked hard and still competed, but I don’t think it was a good decision because I already knew there was a problem. It was the last competition of the season, so I decided to compete,” he said.
Following Tokyo, Chopra shifted his attention entirely to rehabilitation, working closely with childhood coach Jaiveer Chaudhary and long-time physio Ishaan Marwaha. Having also battled ankle, shoulder, wrist and adductor issues in recent years, Chopra believes he is finally ready to compete again.
“In an athlete’s life, when one injury improves, another can appear. We sat together as a team and worked on every part of my body. I feel really good and fit now,” he said.
Doha holds special significance for Chopra. It was at the same venue last year that he finally breached the coveted 90m barrier with a throw of 90.23m under the guidance of world record-holder Jan Zelezny. This time, however, his focus extends beyond simply opening the season.
Chopra has been named in India’s athletics squad for next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but he still needs to achieve the qualification mark of 82.61m to secure direct entry. With the CWG portal set to close on June 23, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) required to submit the country’s final contingent before then, the competition at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium carries added importance.
While the CWG qualification distance appears modest by Chopra’s standards, wind conditions could influence the outcome. “You need to understand how to use the wind. It can help your runway speed and the flight of the javelin, but only if you throw correctly,” he explained.
The Doha meet will also feature one of the most anticipated rivalries of the season as Chopra faces Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, the man in form after producing a world-leading 92.62m in Rome earlier this month.
“He’s a very good friend and I’m happy for what he has done for Sri Lanka,” Chopra said.
Chopra acknowledged that the forthcoming CWG will be every bit as demanding as the Olympics or World Championships, with Pathirage, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, world champion Keshorn Walcott and two-time world champion Anderson Peters all likely contenders.
“All of them have thrown beyond 90m. The CWG will be no less competitive than the Olympics or World Championships. It will be a really tough competition,” he said.
