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 collection 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 Club.

Chopra, who has a private finest and nationwide document 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 12 months as a result of lack of “overall fitness and strength”.

Despite lacking the Doha leg, Chopra went on to script historical past one after the opposite final 12 months. 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 Meeting in Lausanne.

Chopra final month stated that he was feeling higher “physically and technically” on the corresponding time limit, but it surely is not going to be straightforward for him to win the highest prize within the season-opening Diamond League right here, going by the unbelievable competitors seen right here final 12 months.

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 document set in 2017.

Vadlejch, who completed second behind Chopra in Tokyo Olympics and received a bronze within the 2022 World Championships, additionally recorded a private of 90.88m right here final 12 months in his first ever throw over 90m.

Alongside the embellished trio, the Doha Meeting may also 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.

“This is my first competition of the season. It’s always good when you have great competitors,” Chopra stated on the pre-event press convention.

“Vadlejch has already thrown 88.38m in Potchefstroom (South Africa, on April 18), so I think tomorrow will see great competition. Also, Doha is famous for 90m throws. So we will see, hopefully tomorrow will have great results for all.” One of the targets for Chopra, the primary Indian Olympic gold medallist in observe and discipline, this 12 months will probably be to cross the 90m mark, the gold commonplace on the earth of javelin, however whether or not he can obtain the feat in his first competitors of the season stays to be seen.

Last month, he stated he would even be trying to cross the coveted mark this 12 months, although he isn’t placing himself underneath stress to realize the feat.

“Last year, I was just 6cm short of 90m. I hope to do it this year but I will not put any pressure on myself. It’s a magical mark and 90m club is famous in world of javelin. I hope to enter it this year,” Chopra had stated.

The Doha meet may also see 2022 Commonwealth Games triple bounce 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, will probably be tough for Paul to be on the rostrum in a top-class discipline. He had received gold within the Birmingham CWG with a wind-assisted effort of 17.03m.

The Diamond League is observe and discipline’s most prestigious collection sitting within the high 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 Final in Eugene, USA, on September 16-17.