Rumesh Pathirage’s Asian Games Preparations Hit By Major Setback After Historic Season

Rumesh Pathirage's preparations for the Asian Games have suffered an unexpected blow after three of the Sri Lankan javelin star's competition javelins were damaged while being transported by Turkish Airlines.

The equipment was damaged on Pathirage's journey back to Sri Lanka from Hungary, where he had just won the World Athletics Ultimate Championships. He discovered the damage after landing and subsequently filed a complaint with the airline.

Pathirage took to Instagram to share pictures of the damaged javelins, revealing that they were the same three pieces of equipment he had used to produce his 90m-plus throws this season.

"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 said.

The incident could have a greater impact on his preparations than the Sri Lankan is willing to acknowledge, given how important individual javelins can be to elite throwers.

Athletes frequently develop a preference for specific equipment based on factors such as balance, stiffness, weight and flight characteristics.

Pathirage's damaged javelins are manufactured by Hungarian company Javel Inn Ltd., which produces equipment under the Nemeth Javelins brand. The company was established in 1987 by Miklos Nemeth, who won the Olympic javelin title at the 1976 Montreal Games.

Nemeth's family has a distinguished Olympic history. His father, Imre Nemeth, won the hammer throw gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics.

The company has developed a reputation for producing specialised competition javelins, including models featuring its distinctive rough-surface design.

It has manufactured both aluminium and aluminium-carbon composite javelins, with 15 models receiving certification from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), now known as World Athletics.

Nemeth javelins have also been used for world and European record performances, underlining the precision required in manufacturing elite-level equipment.

There is also a sizeable financial element to Pathirage's loss. Some specialised Nemeth competition javelins can cost more than INR 1 lakh each, meaning the damage involves three expensive pieces of equipment.

More importantly, the three javelins were closely associated with Pathirage's breakthrough 2026 season. He has crossed the 90m mark three times this year, with every one of those throws coming with the javelins damaged during his return journey.

Pathirage has nevertheless attempted to put the incident behind him as quickly as possible.

"It's not a big issue. I'll move on," he said.

The 23-year-old now faces the task of finding suitable replacements before the Asian Games.

He heads into the competition after winning the Commonwealth Games, the Diamond League Final and the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, making him one of the leading contenders in the men's javelin event.