Rumesh strikes gold, Dilhani silver at Asian show

Rumesh Tharanga, Dilhani Lekamge

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka’s javelin throwers Rumesh Tharanga and Dilhani Lekamge won a gold medal and a silver respectively at the Asian Throwing Championship in South Korea yesterday.

In the men’s javelin throw event, Rumesh Tharanga secured the gold medal with a throw of 82.05 metres, while in the women’s javelin throw event, Dilhani Lekamge clinched the silver medal with a throw of 57.53 metres.

Dilhani Lekamge was selected to participate in this championship by Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) with the aim of gaining direct qualification for the upcoming IAAF World Athletics Championships 2025 women’s javelin event.

Rumesh Tharanga had already qualified for the World Athletics Championships.

Apart from Rumesh Tharanga, another Sri Lankan athlete, Sumeda Ranasingha, has also secured direct qualification for the men’s javelin event at the IAAF World Athletics Championships to be held from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan. 

According to the current world javelin throw rankings, Rumesh Tharanga is ranked seventh while Sumeda Ranasingha holds the 10th position.