Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga returned to the country this morning (15) after securing the men’s javelin title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, but his homecoming was overshadowed by disappointment after discovering that his sporting equipment had been damaged during the journey.
Tharanga said he normally returns to Sri Lanka filled with happiness after international competitions, but this time he left the airport feeling deeply saddened after finding that all five of his personal javelins had been damaged during air travel.
The damaged equipment included the javelin he used to produce his record-breaking 91.09-metre throw in Budapest. Another damaged javelin was the one he used to achieve a 92.07-metre throw in Zurich, Switzerland.
The athlete had planned to continue using the javelins at major upcoming competitions, including this year’s Asian Championship, the 2027 World Championship and the 2028 Olympic Games. He also hoped to keep the equipment as personal memorabilia after retiring from competitive athletics.
Following the discovery, Tharanga took steps to file a formal complaint against the airline involved at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.
Tharanga arrived at the airport at around 5:10 a.m. on September 15 on Turkish Airlines flight TK-730 from Istanbul, following his victories at both the World Athletics Ultimate Championship and the Diamond League final.
He was welcomed at the airport by his parents and relatives, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Sports and high-ranking officers of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
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