Sri Lankan javelin sensation Rumesh Tharanga, who arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake this morning (15) after winning the men's javelin title at World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, said that although he usually returns to the country with a sense of joy, he left the airport today with immense sadness.

He expressed his disappointment after discovering that all five javelins he had used in his victories at the championships had been damaged during air travel, said Ada Derana reporter.

Among the damaged equipment were all five of his personal javelins, including the one with which he set a record with a throw of 91.09 metres in Budapest, as well as the javelin with which he recorded a throw of 92.07 metres in Zurich, Switzerland.

Tharanga had planned to use these javelins at the Asian Championship scheduled for this year, the World Championship in 2027, and the 2028 Olympic Games. He had also intended to preserve them as mementos after the conclusion of his competitive career.

Following the damage to his equipment, Tharanga took steps to lodge a formal complaint against the airline in question at the Katunayake Airport.

Having won at both the World Athletics Ultimate Championship and the Diamond League final, Tharanga arrived at the Katunayake Airport at 5:10 a.m. on September 15 aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK-730 from Istanbul, Turkey.

His parents, relatives, senior officials from the Ministry of Sports, and high-ranking officers of the Sri Lanka Air Force, were present at the Katunayake Airport to welcome him.