Neeraj Chopra finishes fourth at Doha Diamond League, secures Commonwealth Games spot

Indian Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra returned to competition at the 2026 Doha Diamond League after a back‑injury lay‑off that cost him an eighth‑place finish at the 2025 World Championships. In Doha he recorded a best throw of 85.69 m, placing fourth behind Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage (88.68 m), Grenada’s Anderson Peters (86.38 m) and the USA’s Curtis Thompson (85.99 m). The performance cleared the Athletics Federation of India’s 82.61 m qualifying mark, earning Chopra a place on India’s 32‑member team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. His comeback was marked by a first‑attempt foul, a legal 82.77 m on the second try, and a strong third‑round effort that demonstrated his recovering form ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth and Asian Games.