Sri Lankan javelin champion Rumesh Tharanga arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, on the afternoon of 20 June after competing in four of the world’s leading athletics meets held in Europe and the Middle East, where he won three Gold medals and one Silver medal.
Tharanga showcased his talent at Diamond League athletics competitions held in Morocco, Rome, the Czech Republic and Doha, Qatar.
Fresh from those achievements, Tharanga arrived at Katunayake Airport at 4:54 p.m. on 20 June aboard Qatar Airways flight QR664 from Doha.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, Tharanga said he hoped to deliver even better performances at the Diamond League Final, the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the World Athletics Championships scheduled to be held in Hungary.
His parents, relatives, and senior officials from the Ministry of Sports and the Sri Lanka Air Force were present at the airport to welcome him on his arrival.
The 23-year-old continued his impressive form by claiming victory in the men’s javelin throw at the Doha Diamond League 2026 in Qatar, overcoming a world-class field featuring several global champions and Olympic medallists.
Tharanga secured the gold medal with a throw of 88.68 metres on his fourth attempt, comfortably finishing ahead of Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters, who managed 86.38 metres. American world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson finished third.
The Sri Lankan star defeated a formidable line-up that also included India’s former Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra and reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.
Chopra, making his first appearance of the year after recovering from multiple injuries, finished fourth with a best throw of 85.69 metres.
‘I’m glad I had a win today. It was one of my dreams to compete here as the first ever Sri Lankan in the Diamond League circuit,’ Tharanga said after the event.
The Doha victory marked Tharanga’s second Diamond League title this month following his breakthrough performance in Rome, where he stunned the athletics world with a world-leading personal best throw of 92.62 metres.
Last week, Tharanga climbed to second place in the latest world rankings, a milestone achievement for Sri Lankan athletics. He currently holds 1,333 ranking points, behind Germany’s Julian Weber, who leads the standings with 1,360 points.
His achievements over the past month have firmly established him among the world’s leading javelin throwers and raised hopes of further success for Sri Lankan athletics on the global stage.