Old Peterite puts Sri Lanka on the global athletics podium.
Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage wins 2026 Commonwealth Javelin Gold
– By Aubrey Joachim
‘It’s a long time between drinks’ as the saying goes which fits aptly into Sri Lanka’s sporting achievements. The country has had to endure long periods of drought between recognised sporting successes on the global stage. Barney Henricus won boxing gold at the 1938 Empire Games (pre-cursor to the now Commonwealth Games) in Sydney. At the 1950 Games held in Auckland Duncan White won Gold in the 440 yards hurdles. In 1994 Pushpamali Ramanayake and Malini Wickramasinghe won the Air Rifle pairs event in Victoria, Canada. In 2006 Chinthaka Vidanage won the weight lifting Gold at the 2006 Melbourne games. And just last night Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage launched his javelin almost 90 metres to win Gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow Scotland beating two Indian Olympic champions! It was a twenty year wait between a gold medal hanging off a Sri Lankan neck. It is only the fifth Commonwealth Gold that Sri Lanka has won.
Sri Lankans always like to associate personal achievements with the school background of the person involved. Barney Henricus was an Old Royalist, Duncan White a Trinitian. The two women shooters were from Nalanda Central College Minuwangoda and Hikkaduwa Central College while Chinthaka Vidanage hailed from Pollonnaruwa Royal Central College. Sri Lanka’s latest golden boy is from St. Peters College Colombo 4.
Of course there have been other Sri Lankan sportsmen and sportswomen who have achieved podium places at past Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, but to achieve the pinnacle of one’s discipline on the global stage is a unique achievement. Similarly, we must remember that our cricketers did Sri Lanka proud when they lifted the Cricket World Cup in 1996 – but this was a team achievement. Our Commonwealth Gold medallists are once again unique as their achievements are personal and a recognition of their individual performances.
Interestingly all these sporting greats come from a forces background. Barney Henricus was a Chief Inspector in the Police, Duncan White a commissioned officer in the Ceylon Light Infantry, the two lady shooters were in the Army while Vidanage was in the Air Force (and later Navy). Rumesh Pathirage is an Aircraftsman in the Sri Lanka Airforce.
Rumesh has had a distinguished sporting career. As a teenager playing cricket for St. Peter’s College he was measured at 134 kph at his young age. At the behest of his father who was a discuss and shot put thrower, Rumesh took up to throwing the discuss and later to javelin throwing at St. Peter’s College. The rest as they say is history.
Rumesh has been coached in Australia under Mike and Kelsey Barber at the Queensland Institute of sport, and his rise in performance has been meteoric. After winning the Asian Throwing Championship in 2024, he threw 85.4 meters at the Perth Classic in Australia. He was placed 4th in the 2025 Asian Championship in South Korea. He became Sri Lanka National Champion in August 2025 and set a National record of 86.5 meters while competing in the Indian Open. He excelled in several performances after that and retained his title in the Perth Track classic in February 2026 and in March 2026 set a new National record of 89.37 meters. In the last few months this young champion has been blitzing the field with throws nearing the 90-meter distance. He has participated in the 2026 Diamond league meeting in Rabat and on June 4th he won the 2026 Golden Gala in Rome with a throw of 92.62 meters the furthest throw anywhere in the world since the 2024 Olympics and places him 8th on the world all-time list. A month ago he won the Doha Diamond league throwing 88.68 meters. On July 31st he wins the Commonwealth Games Gold with a throw of 89.75 meters beating two Indian Olympic Gold meadallists.
Rumesh has achieved all of the above at the age of just 23! How much further this young man goes is anyone’s guess. The longest recorded official javelin throw is 98.48 meters in 1996. Surely this must be a target that Rumesh is aspiring to achieve at some point. Irrespective, what is certain is that Sri Lanka will be on the global athletics podiums around the world for many years ahead.
All Sri Lankans wherever in the world must be wishing Rumesh Pathirage all the best in his future endeavours. More so every Peterite salutes and congratulates Rumesh for his achievement and holding the Blue, White and Gold on high. May God Bless this young man and take him from strength to strength.
The author is an Australian citizen of Sri Lankan descent and is an Old Josephian and an Old Peterite.
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