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. According to images shared on Instagram Stories, several of his javelins for competition were reportedly damaged during his journey back to Colombo from Hungary on a Turkish Airlines flight. 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.
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.
Sharing the image of his damaged javelins on Instagram Stories, Pathirage wrote, "Bad luck", with crying emojis. The next story featured the athlete blaming Turkish Airlines and making a sarcastic remark: "Thank you, Turkish Airlines."
According to reports in Sri Lankan media, Pathirage discovered the damage to his equipment while returning home after the Budapest competition. 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.
{{/usCountry}}According to reports in Sri Lankan media, Pathirage discovered the damage to his equipment while returning home after the Budapest competition. 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.
{{/usCountry}}“All three javelins I used for over 90 throws have been damaged. It might have been a mistake by the airline, but that’s how it is. It’s not a big issue. I’ll move on,” Pathirage was quoted as saying by NewsWire on X.
Pathirage's recent form
The javelin thrower's form has made him one of the athletes to watch out for at the Asian Games. He is the favourite to clinch the gold at the continental event after Neeraj Chopra pulled out due to an injury. With Chopra currently sidelined by injury and Arshad Nadeem facing questions over his recent form, Pathirage is set to arrive in Aichi-Nagoya among the leading candidates for the men's javelin title.
Recently, Pathirage produced a 91.09m effort in Budapest, marking his third throw beyond 90m this season and underlining the consistency of his breakthrough campaign.
“My first throw was in the 75m range,” Rumesh told Olympics.com.
“I was under a lot of pressure after that because, after the first few throws, low-scoring competitors get eliminated. Ultimately, I was able to secure the trophy I hoped for," he added.
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. He followed that performance by winning the Diamond League Final in Brussels earlier this month.