Stage set for Diamond League Doha Meet

The Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) yesterday revealed the comprehensive plans for the much-anticipated Doha Meeting 2025, the third stop on this year’s Diamond League calendar.

The event will be held tomorrow at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium showcasing 128 elite athletes, including 45 Olympic and World Championship medallists. During the official press conference, QAF President Mohammed Issa al-Fadala, also Chairman of the Organising Committee, emphasised the significance of the event.

“Everyone has been working tirelessly to ensure this edition of the Doha Meeting is a success and continues to reflect Qatar’s organisational excellence. Everything is ready to host an unforgettable event,” said al-Fadala.

For the first time in the competition’s history, a $5,000 bonus will be awarded to any athlete who breaks a record in their discipline, on top of the $9.24m prize pool spread across the Diamond League season. Across a packed programme, highlights are expected to include the men’s 200m, men’s high jump, men’s javelin, women’s steeplechase, women’s pole vault and men’s discus.

Notably, the women’s 100m features Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, one of the most decorated athletes of all time, and gives Doha athletics fans the chance to celebrate the global track icon in her final year of competition. Reigning Olympic champion Hamish Kerr from New Zealand and former Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim are the headline names in the men’s high jump field.

28-year-old Kerr – an athlete who has rightly grown in confidence over the past 12 months – won the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships with a national record and Oceania best of 2.36m, upgrading his 2022 bronze. He matched that height in Paris, winning Olympic gold after a jump-off.

He finished second at the 2025 World Indoors in China following a series of early season victories in New Zealand.

Barshim, who finished third in Paris, is also a two-time Olympic silver medallist (2012 and 2016). A true championship performer, he won an unprecedented third successive global title with victory at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene 2022.

A great ambassador for the sport and his country, the 33-year-old launched his own innovative event in 2024 – the ‘What Gravity Challenge’ – bringing together a group of the world’s best high jumpers at the spectacular Katara Amphitheatre in Doha.

The 2025 edition of the ‘What Gravity Challenge’ took place on May 9 and was won by Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo (2.29m). Japan’s Ryoichi Akamatsu and Jamaica’s Raymond Richards – who will both take part in the Doha Meeting – finished second and third respectively with 2.26m.

India’s Olympic javelin silver medallist Neeraj Chopra, the reigning world and Asian Games champion, will also compete at the meet for the third successive year. Chopra is India’s national record holder with a best of 89.94m and he has a massive following in Qatar.

He was the first Indian track and field athlete to set a world record (under-20) when he threw 86.48m to win the 2016 World U20 Championships, which was also the first time an Indian athlete had won a global track and field title.

He made history in Tokyo (2021) when he became the country’s first Olympic gold medallist in track and field and that trend continued at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest when he became the first athlete from India to strike gold.

Although finishing runner-up to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in Paris 2024, Chopra delivered the second-best throw of his career (at the time) with 89.45m.

He impressively improved that mark to 89.49m at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne two weeks later.“The presence of so many world and Olympic medallists is proof of the athletes’ desire to compete at the highest level,” al-Fadala noted, adding that many will use the meet to test their form ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo this September.

This year’s edition is particularly noteworthy, as four major events will be held on the same day: the Doha Meeting, the West Asia One-Day Championship, the National Teams Championship, and the Schools Championship.

“This year’s edition will be exceptional,” al-Fadala added.

QAF Secretary-General and Tournament Director Essa al-Harami underlined the event’s competitive depth.

“The participation of 45 Olympic and World Champions highlights the calibre of the event. We are expecting unprecedented levels of competition.”

Sustainability is also at the heart of this year’s planning. Sheikha al-Sahli, Chair of the Sustainability Committee, said: “Receiving the sustainability certification has increased our responsibility to uphold these international standards.”

Initiatives include tree planting, use of electric vehicles, and the recycling of 50,000 plastic bottles. Venue readiness was confirmed by Salah al-Saadi, Chair of the Venues and Operations Committee.

“Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium is fully prepared to host all four championships. We’ve ensured every detail is in place—from security to fan zones,” said al-Saadi.