COLOMBO, May 29 (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka’s leading javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga is set to create history when he competes in the prestigious Diamond League meeting at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat next Sunday.
The 23-year-old will become the first Sri Lankan athlete to compete in a field event at the Diamond League, marking another major milestone in his rapidly rising international career.
Rumesh, currently ranked world No. 7, has emerged as one of the world’s top javelin throwers this season after producing a series of outstanding performances against elite international competitors.
He also made history last year by becoming the first Sri Lankan male javelin thrower to qualify for the final of the World Athletics Championships, where he finished an impressive seventh overall.
The Rabat Diamond League is expected to feature several world-class athletes, including five javelin throwers ranked inside the world’s top 10. Among them is reigning world champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.
Rumesh produced a strong throw of 84.38 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where Walcott secured the gold medal while the Sri Lankan athlete finished seventh.
The Lankan star climbed to world No. 7 following a brilliant gold medal performance at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi last month, where he shattered the meet record with a superb throw of 89.28m.
In Nairobi, Rumesh defeated a powerful field that included Olympic champion Thomas Röhler of Germany and Olympic silver medallist and former world champion Julius Yego of Kenya.
That remarkable effort was also his second throw beyond 89 metres within a month, underlining his growing consistency among the world’s elite throwers. Earlier in March, he established a new Sri Lankan national record with a massive throw of 89.37m.
Although several competitors in Rabat have already crossed the 90m mark, Rumesh remains one of the leading performers this season and will be aiming to deliver another strong display on the global stage.
Following the Rabat meet, Rumesh is also expected to compete at the Rome Diamond League on June 4, according to his coach Tony Prasanna, who will accompany him for both international competitions.
