Rumesh Pathirage, who recently won gold at the Commonwealth Games and also took home the Diamond League title, received a major setback ahead of the upcoming Asian Games. 2026 has been a remarkable year for the 23-year-old, who kept Neeraj Chopra at bay at the Commonwealth Games, with the Indian Olympic medallist having to settle for silver.
Several of his javelins for competition were reportedly damaged during his journey back to Colombo from Hungary on a Turkish Airlines flight, according to images shared on Instagram Stories.
It is worth noting that the javelins were not ordinary training implements either, as they were used extensively by the athlete throughout his rise this season. His biggest victory before Budapest came at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, where he defeated defending champion Neeraj Chopra to claim the gold medal. Pathirage recently solidified his credentials as the world’s best javelin thrower after winning the men’s title at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on September 13.
Pathirage discovered the damage to his equipment while returning home after the Budapest competition, according to reports in Sri Lankan media. “My first throw was in the 75m range,” Rumesh told Olympics.com.
He followed that performance by winning the Diamond League Final in Brussels earlier this month.
