Sri Lankan javelin star Rumesh Pathirage's equipment broken after Budapest flight

Renuka Pathirage, the Sri Lankan javelin thrower who set a new world‑best distance of 88.12 metres at the European Athletics Championships in Budapest, returned home to find the three javelins he used during the competition damaged. Airline staff reported that the equipment was broken during the aircraft’s cargo handling on the return flight, leaving the athlete without his competition‑grade implements.

The loss comes as Pathirage prepares for the upcoming World Athletics Championships, where he is slated to defend his record‑setting performance. Officials from the Sri Lankan Athletics Federation have confirmed that replacement javelins meeting International Association of Athletics Federations specifications are being sourced, and that the incident will be investigated with the airline to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Pathirage is expected to resume training later this month, pending the arrival of the new equipment.