Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage faced a significant setback in his preparations for the 2026 Asian Games after all five of his competition javelins were damaged during a flight back to Colombo. The 23-year-old athlete was returning from Budapest, where he recently won the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship on September 17, when the incident occurred.

Pathirage shared images of the damaged javelins on social media, expressing his disappointment with a brief comment labeling it “bad luck.” He indicated that the damaged equipment included all the javelins he had planned to use not only at the upcoming Asian Games but also for the 2028 Olympics and future World Championships.

The athlete noted that all three of his throws exceeding the 90-meter mark this year were achieved using the javelins affected by the flight damage, underlining the impact the loss of this equipment may have on his future performances.

Following the incident, Pathirage has filed an official complaint with the airline responsible for the transport of his gear. The damage to his javelins raises concerns about the challenges athletes face in safeguarding essential equipment during international travel.