A file picture of Neeraj Chopra.
| Picture Credit score: Reuters
Reigning Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will start his season within the Doha leg of the celebrated Diamond League collection on Might 10 in a star-studded area.
The 26-year-old Chopra, who closed his previous season with a gold on the Asian Video games in Hangzhou, China final 12 months, is aiming to defend his Olympic gold in Paris later this 12 months.
Chopra’s compatriot Kishore Jena, who completed fifth within the 2023 Budapest World Championships and received silver in Hangzhou with a private better of 87.54m, might be making his Diamond League debut on the Qatar capital.
Chopra might be up towards his well-known rivals like Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who received silver in Tokyo Olympics and bronze in 2023 World Championships and former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.
“This 12 months, my private purpose is to defend my Olympic title, however it could additionally imply quite a bit to me to interrupt the 90m barrier. The Doha Assembly, with good circumstances and an amazing ambiance, is an ideal alternative to get my season off to the most effective begin,” Chopra, who has a private better of 89.94m, stated.
“I’m all the time overwhelmed by the nice and cozy help I get from Indians the world over and in Qatar that’s notably particular. I really feel privileged that so many individuals come out to help me and I hope I can repay their religion in me with a very good efficiency.” Others to take the sphere on the Qatar Sports activities Membership embody European champion Julian Weber of Germany (PB 89.54m), Oliver Helander of Germany (PB 89.83m), Qatari report holder Ahmed Bader Magour (PB 85.23m), Lithuanian report holder and World College Video games champion Edis Matusevicius (PB 89.17m) and Asian Video games bronze medallist Roderick Genki Dean of Japan (PB 84.28m).
Chopra had taken the highest spot right here within the 2023 season with a throw of 88.67m, forward of Vadlejch and Peters.
The javelin occasion has constructed a status for its prime quality in recent times and circumstances allowing, a lot might be anticipated of the important thing protagonists on Might 10.
Peters, who completed third 12 months in the past, delivered a nationwide report and the fifth-longest throw in historical past in 2022 (93.07m), whereas reigning Diamond League champion Vadlejch, who was runner-up to Chopra in 2023, recorded a private greatest within the memorable 2022 assembly together with his first ever throw over 90m (90.88m).
Chopra’s continued excellence has raised the bar for Indian athletes.
“Final 12 months my dream was to win the World Championships, however to have three Indian athletes competing within the closing – that exhibits we’re progressing as a nation,” he stated.
The Doha Assembly is the third assembly of the 2024 Diamond League collection which includes 15 legs in complete throughout 4 totally different continents, beginning with Xiamen on April 20 and concluding with a single closing throughout two days in Brussels (September 13-14).
The primary two conferences in Xiamen and Shanghai do not need males’s javelin throw as Diamond League occasion.