World Champion Neeraj Chopra: India's Avinash Sable is set to return for the men’s 3000m steeplechase event when Xiamen hosts its first-ever Diamond League event on Saturday at the brand-new Egret Stadium.
Joining Sable at the event will be two of the country's best male triple jumpers -- Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobaker.
The start list of the event has 19 World Championship medallists. The penultimate leg will be Sable’s fourth appearance in the 2023 edition of Diamond League where he will compete against reigning Olympic, world, and Diamond League champion Soufiane El Bakkali, and Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medallist Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya.
Placed tenth in the 2023 Diamond League rankings, this will be Sable’s last chance to qualify for the finals in Eugene.
Both Chithravel and Aboobaker will be making their second appearance in the Diamond League.
National record holder Chithravel finished sixth on his Diamond League debut at Monaco in July. Aboobaker too made his Diamond League debut this season in June at the Florence event, finishing sixth with a 16.37m jump.
Newly-crowned javelin throw World Champion Neeraj Chopra and long-jumper Murali Sreeshankar made the cut for the finals during the Zurich event held on August 31.