Nagoya, Japan, September 29, 2026: Sri Lanka’s World No.1 Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has set his sights on world and Olympic domination after winning the men’s javelin gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on Monday night, September 28.
The 23-year-old rising star, who has taken the javelin world by storm this year, winning at the Commonwealth Games, Diamond League and World Athletics Ultimate Championship, added to his growing collection by adding Asian Games gold.
“This year was a very good season,” Tharanga said. “My first target was to become Diamond League champion, my second target was Ultimate champion, third Commonwealth Games champion and last Asian Games champion. I did it all.
“My next target is the 2027 world championships in China. And then, after that, the target is the Olympics,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.
The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka led the avalanche of congratulatory messages on social media for the hottest athlete from the island-nation saying: “Congratulations Rumesh, you’ve done it again.”
His gold medal was the first for Sri Lanka at the 20th Asian Games.
Tharanga, who returned home from the Ultimate Championship triumph in Budapest earlier this month to find that his five javelins had snapped in transit, put it behind him in Nagoya, launching a best throw of 88.55m to claim yet another victory.
“It’s not a problem,” he said. “I can throw any javelin.”