"It would mean a lot to me if...": Neeraj Chopra set to start 2024 season with Doha Diamond League

NEW DELHI: Indian Olympic and World Championship gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will be kickstarting his 2024 season with the Doha Diamond League in May. Chopra, the current javelin throw world champion, was the first-ever Indian to win the Diamond League trophy in Zurich back in 2022. The Diamond League is a series of athletic competitions held annually, that comprises several disciplines. Athletes get points from each series in their respective events, which help them earn a spot in the season-ending Diamond League final.

Neeraj finished second in the Diamond League last season, behind the Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, in the finals. The two athletes will be preparing for another match-up in the Qatar Sports Club in Doha on May 10, in which former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada will also be playing. In Doha last season, Chopra beat both of these decorated javelin throwers.

Chopra's compatriot Kishore Jena, who secured the Asian Games medal in Hangzhou last year, will be making his Diamond League debut in Doha as well. In Hangzhou, Jena finished second to Neeraj in the javelin throw competition. European champion Julian Weber from Germany, World Championships finalist Oliver Helander of Finland, and Japan's Roderick Genki Dean are among the players who are on the starting list for Doha.

"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 meeting, with good conditions and a great atmosphere, is a perfect opportunity to get my season off to the best start," Neeraj Chopra told the Diamond League website, as quoted by Olympics.com.

"I am always overwhelmed by the warm support I get from Indians across the world and in Qatar, that is particularly special. I feel privileged that so many people come out to support me and I hope I can repay their faith in me with a good performance," the 26-year-old added.

The Diamond League 2024 series kicks off in China's Xiamen on April 20 and concludes with a final held in Brussels in September. The Doha leg is the third event in the series.