India javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra is not disappointed by his fourth-place finish in the Doha Diamond League; rather, he is sorry because he only wanted to go to the competition stage and did not put in any extra effort in the esteemed event held in the capital of Qatar.
Chopra, 28, finished fourth in his season-opening race in the Doha Diamond League on Friday with a best time of 85.69 meters. However, he exceeded the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) 82.61-meter qualifying distance for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.
“It’s better than before. I can’t say that my body is back to same as before. But I am slowly coming back,” PTI quoted Chopra, who suffered a back injury before the World Championships in September 2025, as saying.
“There was no pressure. I just wanted to play. I wanted to do what I was doing in training. I didn’t try to put in any extra effort. You must have seen that I just wanted to get a good throw. And I got 85.69. I was satisfied with that. Because I wasn’t doing that much (throw) in training.”
A back injury he suffered prior to the September 2025 World Championships in Tokyo has hindered Chopra. After placing eighth in the World Championships, he participated in his debut competition in Doha. Following a period of recuperation in Turkiye, he has been exercising in Switzerland since May 25. He claimed to have sustained several injuries during the previous few months rather than just one.
“This time I didn’t have just one injury. I had two or three injuries. I had an Achilles injury in my blocking leg. I had an injury in my back. I had an injury in my shoulder and elbow,” he remarked after winning the Best Male Athlete of Year Award in the inaugural Indian athletics award function.
“And I have been having some or the other injury in my groin for a long time. So, I thought calmly that I have to do rehabilitation first. I have to start throwing slowly. It’s not like I am in a hurry. Normally, I start throwing in January or February. But I started it in May.”
When asked how crucial it was to remain in a positive frame of mind before returning to action, the two-time Olympic medallist responded, “I knew what situation I was in. If I was (fit and normal as earlier) and was in 4th or 3rd position, I wouldn’t have accepted it. I wouldn’t have accepted it even if it was 85m. But now I knew what situation I was in. And I had to move forward step by step. I was happy with whatever throw I got. And I knew that my preparation was good.”
When asked if he will compete once more prior to the July–August Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, he responded, “I will be competing in the CWG. Right now, I have some work going on. I was in the middle of my training. So, I have decided to go to Commonwealth Games just 5-6 days ago. Before Commonwealth Games, I don’t know (whether to compete or not). Let’s see. After CWG, there will be some Diamond Leagues and Asian Games.”
After separating from Czech Jan Zelezny, he teamed up with his childhood instructor Jaiveer Chaudhary, saying, “I have been in touch with him (Jaiveer) for a long time. But after playing under Zelezny, I don’t know what to expect. I have to work on my ideas and thoughts now.”
Regarding the rivalry with Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage, Chopra stated, “Rumesh is very talented. I met him last year. I thought he would throw well. I met him again. I felt very good. There is a lot of competition in South Asia. Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are going to be equally tough, like the World Championships and Olympics. It’s good for the Javelin community. Our Javelin is getting attention in this area. It’s a good thing. New talents will come forward. Rumesh is also a new talent. He is very young.”
Two-time world champion Andersen Peters of Grenada finished second with a throw of 86.38 meters, while emerging Sri Lankan star and global leader Pathirage won the title in Doha with a throw of 88.68 meters. With 85.99 meters, American Curtis Thompson, who took home a medal in the Tokyo World Championships, finished third.
