Cricket's loss, javelin's gain: Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga, the new kid on the block

India Today

17 hours ago

Throwing might have been in his blood, but like most Sri Lankan teenagers, Rumesh Pathirage first fell in love with cricket. At under-18 level, he was already hurling the ball at 134 kilometres per hour, a lithe figure with raw pace and a competitive edge. In his only competitive outing for St Peter's College, Colombo, he delivered a performance that still draws smiles from those who saw it: four overs, five wickets, and a half-century with the bat. The kind of match that might have been the launchpad to a professional cricket career.advertisementIt is tempting to imagine him now in the bright colours of an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. But the young man from Kalutara, a small coastal town just south of Colombo, chose a different flight path. Instead of the seam and swing of a cricket ball, he embraced the whip-crack rhythm of the javelin runway. Today, at 22, his name is beginning to echo in stadiums far from home.In July, at the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, Rumesh stood on the podium alongside Olympic medallists Neeraj Chopra and Julius Yego, finishing ahead of his boyhood idol, former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler.
Neeraj has already played a pivotal role in Rumesh's rise. It was the two-time Olympic medallist who extended the invitation to Bengaluru and urged him to push his limits. After the podium ceremony came a quieter lesson: noticing Rumesh hesitating before the media, unsure of his English, Neeraj leaned in with a nudge: 'Speak as much as you can in English. I learnt it this way. You'll be at many more podiums, so speak without fear.'On Sunday, August 10, in Bhubaneswar, buoyed by the confidence of his breakthrough in Bengaluru, Rumesh delivered the defining moment of his career: an 86.50m throw that shattered the Sri Lankan national record and secured direct qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo.From 134 kph to 86.50mRumesh's journey began with the throws. 'In 2017, I started training in javelin. My father was a discus and shot-put thrower. He guided me. He got me into discus throwing,' Rumesh tells IndiaToday.in.'I broke most of my school records. In 2017, I won the first school meet in discus. I then got the opportunity to come to the central school in Colombo, the St Peter's College.'It was at St Peter's that javelin entered the picture. 'After I came to St Peter's College, I started javelin throwing. My first throw was around the 30m mark. After only two months of training, I increased my throw to 63m. After 2017, I have increased my personal best gradually.'Even then, cricket still lingered as an option. 'I started playing cricket in 2012, like any other Sri Lankan kid. In 2017, I was among the fastest in the U18 competition. I marked 134 kph,' he says.advertisementIn a nationwide fast-bowling talent hunt for under-18 players — the same programme that had once identified future Sri Lankan international and SunRisers Hyderabad bowler Ehsan Malinga — Rumesh finished as the second-fastest bowler in his category.But javelin offered something cricket could not. 'In cricket, there is political involvement, there is intense competition. So, I moved away from cricket. I loved javelin more. I was the second-fastest bowler in my category. But I wouldn't have had a chance to make it as a fast bowler. Cricket is a team sport. It takes a lot more than just talent to make it to the national team. But, in javelin, if I have talent, I will be recognised.'When he began in earnest, Sri Lanka had only a handful of 80-metre throwers. 'Before I started, there were about three javelin throwers who threw 80-plus. One of them, Sumedha Ranasinghe, is also a direct entry for the World Championships this year. I look up to him even now.'When Neeraj made a dream come trueHis greatest inspiration, though, came from further afield. 'My biggest inspiration has been Thomas Rhler. I have been following all his Instagram posts. I have followed his tips and techniques. Thomas has been my main source of inspiration from my school days till now.'advertisementMeeting Rhler had seemed impossible — until Bengaluru. 'It was an interesting tournament in India. I didn't believe when growing up that I would be able to compete with someone like Thomas Rhler. I have followed Thomas Rhler since 2017. But I thought I wouldn't get a chance to meet my idol. But, Neeraj Chopra Classic gave me an opportunity.'That invitation came while he was in Australia for the Perth Classic, having just thrown 85.41m. Neeraj Chopra's manager, Lucas, called with a place in the Bengaluru event.The first night wasn't easy. His opening throw measured only 71m. 'When I crossed the 80m, Neeraj came to me and said, 'You can do better than this'. Neeraj has always motivated me to do better, bigger things.'
Rumesh revealed that Neeraj has always motivated him (Credit: PTI)
The crowd roared for Neeraj, but their warmth extended to every competitor. For Rumesh, it felt like competing at home. He had spent the previous month mentally rehearsing for the event, visualising a breakthrough performance on such a grand South Asian stage. A podium finish had never crossed his mind, but when no one breached the 80m mark after the first round, he sensed an opening. The wind was tricky, but the challenge only fuelled him further.advertisementFor a 22-year-old who hadn't seen much of the world, Bengaluru became the stage to prove his adaptability. He showed composure beyond his years, adjusting to the conditions and securing a podium alongside Neeraj and Julius Yego.The confidence he carried from Bengaluru was on full display in Odisha on Sunday. With no big names in the field, Rumesh turned the contest into a battle with himself — and won it in style.Learning on the goTravel has been as much a teacher as competition. A visa delay meant he missed the Brisbane Track Classic, arriving a week late, but that detour opened the door to Perth. Within two weeks, he had trained with Olympic champion Kelsey-Lee Barber and her coach, Mike Barber, before returning to Sri Lanka.Back home, he wears the colours of the Sri Lankan Air Force, which provides vital financial support. But for athletes outside cricket, the reality is harsh.advertisement'They are helping me with financial support. But, in Sri Lanka, except cricket, there is no real space to fund other sports. It's very hard being a javelin thrower in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, if you look at it, there are not many professional athletes. There are a lot of grassroots athletes who do well in track events. But after the age of 20, we have few. That's the main problem — the progression. The athletics federation hasn't been able to support us much. The financial problem is real in Sri Lankan athletics.'All-Asian Olympic podium?A top-eight finish at the Worlds is Rumesh's immediate target. The long-term one? To end Sri Lanka's two-decade wait for an Olympic medal — a goal he carries not only for himself, but for a nation hungry for sporting success.For decades, men's javelin was the preserve of Europeans, with Olympic podiums dominated by Germany, Finland, and the Czech Republic. But the balance shifted in Paris, where Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem threw an Olympic-record 92.97m to take gold and India's Neeraj Chopra claimed silver. It was the first time in history that two Asian throwers occupied the top two steps of the Olympic podium — a seismic change in the sport's global order.
Rumesh is aiming to end Sri Lanka's wait for an Olympic medal (Courtesy: AFP)
Rumesh has been watching that transformation closely. He is a self-confessed admirer of Neeraj's ability to maintain elite standards over time — something he is beginning to emulate. This season alone, he has landed more than ten throws beyond the 80m mark, underlining his own growing reliability.'I haven't had a lot of opportunities to interact with Arshad Nadeem,' he says. 'But, from whenever I have spoken to him, I got a feeling he is a humble man. But, Neeraj Chopra is very close to me. He always gives me advises. I believe Neeraj is the best in the region. He has had five years of consistent performances. His technique is unbelievable. I can't compare myself with him, but I believe I have a solid technique like Neeraj.'Neeraj and Arshad have already put the region on the global javelin map. And in his mind, the future could be even more seismic. 'I believe it can happen (all-Asian podium in the Olympics). Let's hope for the best.'- Ends