Murofushi, also defending champion in Asiad, told the local media that he would not come to Doha, because his right leg was strained during the training.

The 32-year-old was belatedly awarded the hammer gold medal with 82.91 meters at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, after the initial gold medal winner, Hungary's Adrian Annus, was stripped of the title for failing to attend compulsory drug tests after the event.

World record holder of the men's 3,000m steeplechase Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar also pulled out of the Doha Games due to injury on his Achilles tendon.