Former Sri Lankan Fast Bowler Overtakes Neeraj Chopra, Becomes 2nd Asian To...

Last Updated:June 05, 2026, 08:59 IST

Among Asians, Pathirage has now registered the second-best throw in javelin throw. Only Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem (92.97m) is ahead of him

Former fast bowler Rumesh Pathirage scripted history on Thursday (June 4) by becoming the first Sri Lankan and overall fourth Asian athlete to breach the 90-metre mark in the javelin throw. Pathirage was in action at the Rome Diamond League on Thursday, and he touched the distance of 92.62m.

Neeraj Chopra of India, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, and Cheng Chao-Tsun of Taiwan are the other three Asians to have breached the 90m mark in men’s javelin.

Pathirage’s throw of 92.62m at the Rome Diamond League is the 21st-best throw in the history of the javelin throw.

The record for the longest-ever throw in men’s javelin is in the name of Jan Železný. The former Czech Republic athlete reached a distance of 98.48m in 1996.

Among Asians, Pathirage has now registered the second-best throw. Only Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (92.97m) is ahead of him. Cheng Chao-Tsun is in third spot with a best throw of 91.36m, and Neeraj Chopra’s best-ever throw is 90.23m.

About the Author

Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist with CNN-News18 since July 1, 2024, and covers cricket with a sharp eye for records, trends, and match analysis. Based in Noida, he has reported extensively on the...Read More

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