New Delhi [India], June 20 (ANI): India’s javelin star Neeraj Chopra expressed satisfaction after making a profitable return to competitors on the Doha Diamond League 2026, the place he secured qualification for the upcoming Commonwealth Games with an 85.69m throw in his first occasion of the 2026 season.
Sharing a video of his effort on X on Saturday, Chopra wrote, ‘Happy to be again on the sphere. 85.69m felt good, and prepared for the season forward!’
The 28-year-old was competing for the primary time in eight months after recovering from a again damage that had sidelined him because the finish of final season. While he narrowly missed out on a podium end in Doha, the outing offered encouraging indicators as he returned to the worldwide circuit.
Chopra started the competitors with a foul throw however step by step discovered his rhythm in a high-quality subject. His finest effort of 85.69m got here on the third try, lifting him to 3rd place on the finish of the third spherical and comfortably taking him previous the qualification mark for the Commonwealth Games.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medallist adopted it up with a throw of 83.45m within the fourth spherical. However, he couldn’t enhance additional and recorded one other foul on his fifth try. As a end result, he slipped to fourth place and missed out on advancing to the ultimate three-athlete shootout.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage emerged victorious with a throw of 88.68m, whereas Grenada’s Anderson Peters completed second with 86.38m. American Curtis Thompson claimed third place with a finest effort of 85.99m, edging Chopra by simply 30 centimetres.
The Doha venue holds particular significance for the Indian athlete. It was right here final yr that Chopra breached the coveted 90m mark for the primary time in his profession, a milestone that additional cemented his standing among the many world’s main javelin throwers. (ANI)