Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage made history by winning Sri Lanka's first athletics gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, overcoming a formidable field in the javelin final.
At Glasgow's Scotstoun Stadium, the 23-year-old faced a huge challenge, competing against world-class stars Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and India's Neeraj Chopra. However, the outcome defied expert expectations.
Nadeem, the defending champion and Olympic gold medalist from Paris 2024, was shockingly eliminated early after three throws on a windy evening. Pathirage himself struggled, managing only one legal throw in his first five attempts. But that single throw was enough to secure victory with a distance of 89.75 meters.
Neeraj Chopra, coming back from an injury-riddled year, took silver with a season-best 85.83 meters. His teammate, Yash Vir Singh, claimed bronze with a personal best of 85.41 meters.
Notably, the final featured five athletes who had previously thrown beyond 90 meters, including world champion Keshorn Walcott. The Trinidad and Tobago athlete struggled through his first five throws, managing only 82.55 meters on his final attempt to finish sixth.
Interestingly, Pathirage originally started as a fast bowler in cricket, clocking speeds up to 134 km/h as a teenager. The cricket world record is 161.3 km/h, held by Pakistan's legendary Shoaib Akhtar. Sri Lanka's loss in cricket has clearly been a massive gain for its athletics.
