Achi news desk-
Neeraj Chopra. (Credit: Twitter)
Chopra, who is aiming to defend his Olympic gold in Paris later this year, will begin his campaign in the Doha leg of the prestigious Diamond League series on May 10.
Reigning Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will begin his season at the Doha leg of the prestigious Diamond League series on May 10 in a star-studded field.
The 26-year-old Chopra, who closed her last season with gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last year, is aiming to defend her Olympic gold in Paris later this year.
Chopra’s compatriot Kishore Jena, who finished fifth at the Budapest 2023 World Championships and won silver in Hangzhou with a personal best of 87.54m, will make his Diamond League debut in the Qatari capital.
Follow all the steps from IPL 2024including the IPL 2024 Schedule a IPL 2024 Points Table. Also, check out Players competing for IPL 2024 IPL 2024 Orange Cap and Purple Cap
Chopra will be up against well-known rivals such as Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics and bronze at the 2023 World Championships and former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.
“This year, my personal goal is to defend my Olympic title, but it would also mean a lot to me to break the 90m barrier. The Doha Meet, with good conditions and a great atmosphere, is the perfect opportunity to get the best start to my season,” said Chopra, who has a personal best of 89.94m.
“I am always amazed by the warm support I get from Indians all over the world and in Qatar which is especially special. I feel privileged that so many people came out to support me and I hope I can repay their faith in me with a good performance.”
Others to take the field at the Qatar Sports Club include European champion Julian Weber of Germany (PB 89.54m), Oliver Helander of Germany (PB 89.83m), Qatari record holder Ahmed Bader Magour (PB 85.23m), Lithuanian record holder and World University Games champion Edis Matusevicius (PB 89.17m) and Asian Games bronze medalist Roderick Genki Dean of Japan (PB 84.28m).
Chopra had taken the top spot in Doha in the 2023 season with a throw of 88.67m, ahead of Vadlejch and Peters.
The javelin event has built a reputation for its high quality in recent years and if conditions allow, much will be expected from the main characters on May 10.
Peters, who finished third 12 months ago, achieved a national record and the fifth longest throw in history in 2022 (93.07m), while reigning Diamond League champion Vadlejch, runner-up to Chopra in 2023, recorded his personal best at the memorable 2022 meet with his first ever throw over 90m (90.88m).
Chopra’s continued excellence has raised the bar for Indian athletes.
“Last year my dream was to win the World Championships, but to have three athletes from India competing in the final – that shows we are moving forward as a nation,” he said.
The Doha meeting is the third meeting of the 2024 Diamond League series which includes a total of 15 legs across four different continents, starting with Xiamen on April 20 and ending with one final over two days in Brussels (September 13-14).
The first two meets in Xiamen and Shanghai do not have men’s javelin as a Diamond League event.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from the feed of a syndicated news agency – PTI)
