Asian Games Hopes Dampened as Sri Lankan Star Rumesh Pathirage's Javelins Broken in Flight

Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage faced an unexpected setback in his preparations for the Asian Games after his professional javelins were severely damaged during a flight back from the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

The 23-year-old athlete recently secured a gold medal in Budapest, Hungary, recording a best throw of 91.09 metres. This latest victory added to an impressive season that includes titles as a Diamond League champion and Commonwealth Games champion, alongside being the only thrower this season to register two throws over 92m.

However, his triumphant homecoming turned sour upon landing in Katunayake when he discovered that all five of his checked javelins were broken. Pathirage shared the frustrating news on social media alongside a photograph of the damaged equipment, which included the three implements used during the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

“It might be a mistake by the airline, but it caused a priceless loss for me,” Pathirage told reporters, maintaining a resilient outlook by adding, “It’s not a big issue; I’ll move on.”

His coach, Tony Prasanna, expressed deep disappointment over the incident, noting the careful packaging of the equipment. According to Prasanna, the loss extends far beyond the high financial cost of professional javelins, dealing a psychological blow and disrupting plans to use the equipment at the upcoming Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics.

In response to the incident, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports announced plans to supply new javelins for the world number one athlete to compete at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The ministry also stated that the government intends to pursue the matter and take appropriate legal action against the airline.

As Sri Lanka's leading gold-medal hopeful, Pathirage is set to compete against Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem for the top prize at the upcoming Games.