Rumesh Pathirage: Airline Mishap Leaves Sri Lankan Star Without Five Winning Javelins

Sri Lankan javelin sensation Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has suffered an unexpected setback ahead of the 2026 Asian Games after five of his competition javelins were found broken and damaged following his return to Colombo from Budapest.

The incident occurred after the 23-year-old returned from Budapest, where he secured gold at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sunday.

The damaged equipment included the very javelins Pathirage had used to produce some of the biggest throws of his remarkable season.

“All five of my winning javelins were damaged inside the aircraft,” Pathirage said, as quoted by Dawn. “I was trying to use them at the upcoming Asian Games, the 2028 Olympics and the World Championship.”

Pathirage has enjoyed a breakthrough season, establishing himself among the leading names in world javelin. The Sri Lankan has surpassed the 90-metre mark on three occasions this year. His latest effort came in Budapest, where his throw of 91.09 metres secured the championship title.

All three of his 90-metre-plus throws this season were achieved using the javelins that were damaged during the journey back to Colombo.

Pathirage’s impressive campaign has also seen him claim major victories over Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra. He defeated Chopra at both the Commonwealth Games and the Zurich Diamond League in August, where he produced a huge 92.07m effort.

His season-best throw of 92.62m, which currently stands as a world-leading mark, came at the Rome Diamond League in June.

The 23-year-old has won 12 of the 13 competitions he has entered this year, underlining his consistency and growing status on the international stage.

With the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, now approaching, Pathirage remains one of the leading contenders for the men’s javelin title.

The men’s javelin final is scheduled for September 28, 2026, giving the Sri Lankan camp time to address the equipment issue before the competition begins.

Despite the setback, Pathirage’s outstanding form has kept expectations high as he prepares for another major test on the international stage.