Doha : India’s Neeraj Chopra expressed satisfaction with his return to competition after an eight-month injury layoff, saying he was encouraged by his performance despite finishing fourth at the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
The Tokyo Olympic champion posted on social media a day after the event, where his best throw of 85.69 metres secured qualification for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
“Happy to be back on the field. 85.69m felt good, and ready for the season ahead!” Chopra wrote on X.
The 28-year-old was making his first appearance since recovering from a back injury that had sidelined him since the end of last season.
After opening with a foul, Chopra gradually settled into the competition and produced his best effort in the third round, moving into third place at the time and comfortably surpassing the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard.
He followed with a throw of 83.45m in the fourth round but was unable to improve further. A foul on his fifth attempt ultimately left him fourth overall and outside the final three-athlete shootout.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga claimed victory with a throw of 88.68m, while Grenada’s Anderson Peters finished second with 86.38m. American Curtis Thompson took third place with 85.99m, edging Chopra by just 30 centimetres.
Although he narrowly missed the podium, the performance provided a promising start to Chopra’s 2026 campaign as he works his way back to peak fitness.
Doha has been a significant venue in Chopra’s career. It was there last year that he surpassed the 90-metre mark for the first time, achieving a milestone that reinforced his standing among the world’s elite javelin throwers.
