Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra made an encouraging return to international competition after nearly nine months away from action, crossing the qualification mark for the Commonwealth Games 2026 at the Doha Diamond League on Friday (June 19).
Competing for the first time since the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year, where he finished eighth, Chopra opened with a foul before producing an 82.77m effort in his second attempt to secure the Commonwealth Games qualification standard.
The Indian ace improved further with a throw of 85.69m in the third round, moving into third place in the standings at that stage of the competition.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters led the field with 86.38m, while American Curtis Thompson occupied second place with 85.99m. Chopra’s 85.69m effort placed him ahead of Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage, who had earlier managed 84.63m.
Earlier this month, Rohit Yadav became the first Indian javelin thrower to qualify for the Commonwealth Games 2026 after producing a personal-best throw of 83.76m at the Indian Athletics Series in Ludhiana.
Chopra’s return will come as a major boost for Indian athletics as the country’s biggest medal hope resumes competition ahead of a busy international season.
This is a developing story and will be updated as the competition progresses.