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Rumesh Pathirage, Sri Lanka's best hope for a gold medal at the Asian Games, faced a serious issue upon returning from the World Athletics Championships. The 23-year-old athlete, who won a gold medal in Budapest, Hungary with a throw of 91.09 meters, encountered a bitter reality at Katunayake Airport: his equipment, including five javelins, had been damaged during travel.
Bitter Start to the Return Home
Pathirage, who has achieved multiple championships this season and is the only thrower to record two throws over 92 meters in addition to winning the Diamond League and Commonwealth Games, shared a picture of his damaged javelins on social media after landing in Katunayake. He captioned the image, "Thank you Turkish Airlines" and listed his throwing distances while recalling which javelins he had used.
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Psychological and Financial Consequences
In an interview with reporters, he stated, "This may be an airline's mistake, but it has caused me an invaluable loss." Nevertheless, Pathirage seems to be looking ahead with a positive spirit, saying, "This is not a big problem; I will continue." However, his coach, Tony Prasanna, expressed regret over the matter, stating that it was an unpleasant shock for them.
Prasanna emphasized, "We had packed the five javelins very carefully and appropriately, but all of them arrived damaged. The cost of the javelins is not important, but the emotional connection we have with them is what matters. This is a psychological setback for Rumesh, and I will counsel him on this matter." He also mentioned that they had planned to take three javelins to the 2028 Diamond League and the Asian Games.
Support from the Sri Lankan Government
The Ministry of Sports of Sri Lanka has announced that new equipment will be provided for Pathirage so that he can participate in the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. In a statement from the ministry, it was mentioned: "The government has raised this issue with the airline and will take appropriate legal actions."
Pathirage, who is the first Sri Lankan to become a Diamond League champion, is recognized as a gold hope at the Asian Games and is set to compete against Arshad Nadeem, the Olympic champion from Pakistan, for the gold medal. The javelins used by professional athletes usually cost over $800, and top athletes typically have three to five javelins that they use in training and take with them for world competitions.
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