Doha, April 8 The season-opening Diamond League in Doha, where India's javelin star Neeraj Chopra broke the 90m mark last season, has been scheduled for June 19, the organizers said in a statement on Wednesday.
The event, originally scheduled to take place at the Khalifa International Stadium on May 8, has been postponed due to the situation in West Asia.
"In recent weeks, the Diamond League has been monitoring the situation in Doha, working in close coordination with meeting organizers, Qatari authorities, and other stakeholders," the press release stated.
"In the interests of athletes and spectators' safety, a decision has now been made to postpone the meeting. If conditions allow, it will now be held on June 19," the organizers further added.
As temperatures are expected to be higher in Doha in June, the meeting will also be moved from the Qatar Sports Club to the Khalifa International Stadium.
The stadium, which hosted both the Diamond League and the World Athletics Championships in 2019, is temperature-regulated, allowing athletes to compete safely even in hotter conditions.
The new date will fall between the Bislett Games in Oslo on June 10 and the Meeting de Paris on June 28, making Doha the eighth leg of the 2026 Diamond League.
The series will begin in Shanghai/Keqiao on May 16 and end at the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 4-5.
The Diamond League will continue to monitor developments in the Middle East in the coming weeks. The series and meeting organizers remain committed to delivering the highest level of safe and secure competition for athletes, media, and spectators.
The Diamond League is the elite one-day meeting series in athletics, comprising 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field.
The series provides a unique opportunity for athletes across the full diversity of track and field to compete regularly at the highest level throughout the outdoor season.
In 32 different disciplines, athletes compete for points at the 14 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Diamond League Final.
With events in 13 different countries across four different continents, the Diamond League is one of the most truly global series in world sport.