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Rumesh Wins First Gold

Sri Lanka’s world number one men’s javelin thrower and Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medallist Rumesh Pathirage won the island’s first gold medal at the ongoing 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, yesterday.

Apart from his gold medal, Sri Lanka had so far won only a silver medal in the women’s T20 cricket event at these Games.

Pathirage had hoped to win the javelin gold medal while also breaking both the Asian Games record and the Asian record. However, he was unable to achieve either of those two records.

The men’s javelin throw was contested by 14 athletes from across Asia. Pathirage secured the gold medal with a throw of 88.55 metres.

India’s Yash Vin Singh won the silver medal with a throw of 85.72m, while compatriot Rohit Yadav took the bronze medal with 84.35m.

Pathirage’s six attempts were recorded as 73.53m, 83.34m, foul, 88.33m, foul and 88.55m. His third and fifth attempts were disqualified while his sixth and final attempt of 88.55m secured the gold medal.

Sri Lanka’s Rio Olympian Sumedha Ranasinghe finished sixth with a throw of 78.08m.

Pathirage’s gold medal is Sri Lanka’s 12th athletics gold in Asian Games history from 1951 to 2026.

Among his major achievements this year, he won the 2026 Diamond League javelin competition with a throw of 89.04m on September 6.

He also produced a remarkable 92.62m throw at the Rome Diamond League in Italy, recording a new Sri Lankan record and becoming the eighth athlete in world history to throw beyond that distance in the javelin.

He later crossed the 92-metre mark for the second time at the Zurich Diamond League, where he recorded 92.07m.

He previously won the javelin gold medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with a throw of 89.75m.