Doha Diamond League In Qatar Postponed To June Due To Middle East Conflict

The Doha Diamond League track meet in Qatar has been postponed from May to June due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Doha leg, originally scheduled for May 8 as the season opener, will now be held on June 19 “should conditions allow”.

“In recent weeks, the Diamond League has been monitoring the situation in Doha, working in close coordination with meeting organisers, Qatari authorities and other stakeholders,” the organisers said in a statement on Wednesday.

“In the interests of athlete and spectator safety, a decision has now been taken to postpone the meeting. Should conditions allow, it will now be held on June 19.”

Iran, Israel, and the United States agreed to a two-week ceasefire hours after the announcement. Meanwhile, the Diamond League 2026 season will open with the Shanghai meet on May 16.

It remains to be seen if Neeraj Chopra, who did not compete in Shanghai in 2025, will do so this year. The Indian javelin thrower had breached the 90-metre mark in Qatar.

Date Change Leads To Venue Shift

The revised June date will also lead to the meet being moved to the Khalifa International Stadium to take into account the expected high summer temperatures. The new venue, which was used during the 2019 World Athletics Championships, is equipped with large cooling systems.

Qatar’s sporting calendar has already been affected by the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US. The “Finalissima” between Argentina and Spain was cancelled, while the country’s MotoGP round has been pushed to November. Across the Gulf region, Formula 1 Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, scheduled in April, were also called off.