Sri Lankan star Rumesh Pathirage’s javelin broken ahead of Asian Games

What the report says

Sri Lankan javelin star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has had his Asian Games preparations disrupted after five of his javelins were damaged during air travel back from the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, according to Al Jazeera. The incident was discovered after he landed in Katunayake following his trip from Budapest, where he won gold with a best throw of 91.09 metres.

Pathirage, 23, is regarded as Sri Lanka’s leading medal prospect for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. He posted images of the broken equipment on social media and later said the loss was painful, while also suggesting it may have been an airline mistake. His coach, Tony Prasanna, described the damage as a major emotional setback and said the team had carefully packed the javelins for travel.

Sri Lanka’s sports ministry said it would supply replacement javelins for the competition and pursue the matter with the airline, including possible legal action. The report says Pathirage is the country’s first Diamond League champion and will likely face strong opposition at the Asian Games, including Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem. The episode highlights how essential specialized equipment is for elite throwers, especially when athletes often rely on a small set of familiar implements for major events.