India’s Biggest Diamond League Squad Ever: Neeraj Chopra to Lead Four-Member Indian Contingent at Doha

India is to make history at the 2025 Doha Diamond League with its biggest-ever representation when Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will be accompanied by three compatriots on May 16. It is a momentous occasion in Indian athletics and reflects the increasing presence of the country on the international scene.

Neeraj Chopra, who won the Doha Diamond League title in 2023 with a throw of 88.67m and came second in 2024, will participate in the men's javelin throw. He will be joined by Kishore Jena, who comes back to the Doha meet after coming ninth last year. The men's javelin event is loaded with top-notch talent in the form of two-time world champion and Paris Olympics bronze medalist Anderson Peters (Grenada), 2024 champion Jakub Vadlejch (Czech Republic), Germany's Julian Weber and Max Dehning, Kenya's Julius Yego, and Japan's Roderick Genki Dean.

Accompanying them are two national record holders entering track events. Two first-timers are entering, one being Gulveer Singh, who is making his Diamond League debut in the men's 5000m, and the other Parul Chaudhary entering the women's 3000m steeplechase. Both sporters have much expected from them, with Chaudhary sporting the country's national record in her race.

The Doha Diamond League is the third event in the 2025 Wanda Diamond League circuit and will have a glittering line-up, including 44 individual and relay medallists at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2023 World Athletics Championships. The organizers have also introduced a $5,000 bonus for any athlete who achieves a new meeting record in Doha, which will provide an added incentive for top performances.

Neeraj Chopra's appearance in Doha follows his season-opener victory at the Potchefstroom Invitational in South Africa, in which he threw 84.52m. Next, after Doha, he will compete at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic on June 24. Interestingly, his own tournament, the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, has been postponed owing to the current conflict between India and Pakistan.

This historic Indian team marks a new generation for Indian athletics, headed by Chopra, who will lead by example and inspire the next generation of athletics stars.

Sources: The Indian Express, India Today, The Economic Times, News18