Competing for the primary time as Diamond League champion, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will probably be up in opposition to his acquainted nemeses within the first leg of the celebrated conferences sequence on Friday, as he goals to start a ‘lengthy’ season studded with a robust efficiency. The 25-year-old Chopra, additionally a 2022 World Championships silver winner, faces the likes of reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic in a star-studded discipline on the Qatar Sports activities Membership.

Chopra, who has a private finest and nationwide report of 89.94m, had completed fourth with 87.43m in 2018 in the one different participation within the Doha Diamond League. He couldn’t participate right here final yr as a consequence of lack of “general health and energy”.

Regardless of lacking the Doha leg, Chopra went on to script historical past one after the opposite final yr. He grew to become the primary Indian Diamond League champion after profitable the 2022 grand finale in Zurich in September. A month earlier than that, he grew to become the primary Indian to win a Diamond League Assembly in Lausanne.

Chopra final month stated that he was feeling higher “bodily and technically” on the corresponding cut-off date, but it surely won’t be simple for him to win the highest prize within the season-opening Diamond League right here, going by the unimaginable competitors seen right here final yr.

Peters had produced the fifth-longest throw in historical past by hurling the spear to 93.07m, a mark simply exterior German Thomas Rohler’s 93.90m, a gathering report set in 2017.

Vadlejch, who completed second behind Chopra in Tokyo Olympics and gained a bronze within the 2022 World Championships, additionally recorded a private of 90.88m right here final yr in his first ever throw over 90m.

Alongside the embellished trio, the Doha Assembly may even have European champion Julian Weber of Germany, who has a private better of 89.54m, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott (PB 90.16m) of Trinidad & Tobago and former world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego (PB 92.72m) of Kenya.

“That is my first competitors of the season. It is at all times good when you have got nice rivals,” Chopra stated on the pre-event press convention.

“Vadlejch has already thrown 88.38m in Potchefstroom (South Africa, on April 18), so I believe tomorrow will see nice competitors. Additionally, Doha is legendary for 90m throws. So we are going to see, hopefully tomorrow may have nice outcomes for all.” One of many targets for Chopra, the primary Indian Olympic gold medallist in monitor and discipline, this yr will probably be to cross the 90m mark, the gold customary on the planet of javelin, however whether or not he can obtain the feat in his first competitors of the season stays to be seen.

Final month, he stated he would even be trying to cross the coveted mark this yr, although he’s not placing himself below strain to attain the feat.

“Final yr, I used to be simply 6cm wanting 90m. I hope to do it this yr however I can’t put any strain on myself. It is a magical mark and 90m membership is legendary in world of javelin. I hope to enter it this yr,” Chopra had stated.

The Doha meet may even see 2022 Commonwealth Video games triple leap champion Eldhose Paul compete in a discipline, which incorporates Tokyo Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo (PB 18.08m)) of Portugal, reigning Diamond League winner Andy Diaz Hernandez (17.07m) of Cuba and two-time Olympic gold winner (2012 and 2016) and five-time world champion Christian Taylor (PB 18.21m) of USA.

With a private better of 16.99m, it will likely be tough for Paul to be on the rostrum in a top-class discipline. He had gained gold within the Birmingham CWG with a wind-assisted effort of 17.03m.

The Diamond League is monitor and discipline’s most prestigious sequence sitting within the prime tier of World Athletics’ one-day competitions. The 2023 Diamond League contains 13 conferences, beginning with the Doha occasion main as much as the two-day Diamond League Ultimate in Eugene, USA, on September 16-17.