A special welcome ceremony was held this afternoon (22) for Sri Lankan javelin ace Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who has brought international acclaim to Sri Lanka through his outstanding achievements in recent athletic events.
The ceremony was organized by the Bandaragama Pradeshiya Sabha at the Galanigama Interchange of the Southern Expressway in Bandaragama.
Rumesh Tharanga, who competed in four of the world’s premier athletics competitions and secured three gold medals and one silver medal against some of the sport’s leading athletes, returned to the country on June 20.
During the on-going season, he produced a series of record-breaking performances in the prestigious Diamond League athletics circuit, which features the world’s top competitors.
He finished second in the javelin throw event at the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco before claiming victory at the Rome Diamond League with a throw of 92.62 metres, setting a new Sri Lankan national record.
Rumesh also secured first place in the javelin throw event at the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet held last week, recording a throw of 86.57 metres.
Following these achievements, Rumesh Tharanga rose to second place in the world rankings for men’s javelin throw, the highest ranking ever attained by a Sri Lankan athlete in a track and field event.
Having elevated Sri Lanka’s profile on the global athletics stage within a span of just 20 days, Rumesh next competed in the seventh stage of the Diamond League series held in Doha, Qatar, on June 19.
The competition featured several world-class athletes, including reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India.
A large number of Sri Lankan supporters were also present to cheer on Rumesh during the event.
At the conclusion of the first three rounds, Rumesh was placed fourth behind Anderson Peters, Curtis Thompson and Neeraj Chopra.
However, in his fourth attempt, he delivered a remarkable throw of 88.68 metres to move into the lead and demonstrate his exceptional form on the international stage.
Accordingly, Rumesh Tharanga secured first place in the men’s javelin throw event at the Doha Diamond League, earning widespread praise from international athletics commentators for his outstanding performance.
