Neeraj Chopra withdraws from Doha Diamond League, focuses on back injury rehab

Famed Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra would miss out on the Doha Diamond League as he continues his recovery from a back injury while training in Switzerland.

Chopra is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won the gold and silver medals at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, respectively. He had kicked off his Diamond League campaign last year in Doha.

Neeraj Chopra out of Doha Diamond League

Chopra is currently in Bienne, Switzerland, for a 47-day off-season training camp along with his long-time physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha and coach Jai Choudhary ahead of this year's Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Despite the star Indian javelin thrower's absence, the field would be star-studded in this year's Doha DL, including world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who threw a national record 92.62m to win the Diamond League meeting in Rome, and would be in action at the Qatar Sports Club.

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Alongside Pathirage would be Paris Olympics gold medallist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.

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In a field bursting with talent, the trio will be joined at the Mazzraty Doha Meeting by a host of stars, including former two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, and world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson of the USA.

Former world champion and Olympic silver medallist Kenya's Julius Yego, and Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, a former Olympic and world silver medallist, complete the field.

Notably, Chopra had delivered his best performance at last year's Doha meeting when he breached the 90m mark. He, however, finished second in the competition after Julian Weber of Germany responded with 91.06m on his sixth and final throw to claim victory.

When will Chopra return to action?

Chopra sustained a severe back injury during a shot put drill while training, causing a disc-related issue. The injury affected his performance at the World Championships and has persisted throughout the off-season.

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Chopra pulling out of the Doha Diamond League may indicate that his focus remains on proper rehabilitation, increasing the possibility of a full-fledged comeback at upcoming events such as the Commonwealth Games or the Asian Games.  

(With PTI Inputs)