Neeraj Chopra is not surprised by the rapid rise of Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage

Two-time Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra insisted he was not surprised by the steady rise of Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, the 23-year-old Sri Lankan prodigy who has captured the attention of the athletics world with a string of stunning performances this season. Speaking at the inaugural edition of the Indian Athletics Awards in New Delhi on Saturday, Chopra expressed his delight at the emergence of a fierce South Asian rivalry in a discipline long dominated by Europeans.

Chopra’s comments came just a day after Pathirage secured victory in the Doha Diamond League with an excellent best performance of 88.68m on Friday. The Sri Lankan outclassed an elite field that included Chopra himself, who recorded 85.69m in his highly-anticipated return from a long injury lay-off.

Pathirage was a virtually unknown entity last year when Chopra personally invited him to the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic. While the Sri Lankan finished third in that tournament, he has elevated his game to a completely different stratosphere this season. Pathirage started his 2026 campaign with several throws of more than 89 meters before unleashing a monstrous 92.62m at the Rome Diamond Leaguehe became only the fourth Asian in history to break the elusive 90m barrier. This narrowly missed Arshad Nadeem’s continental record of 92.94m.

“Rumesh is very talented. I met him last year. I thought he would bowl well. I met him again. I felt very good,” Chopra said when asked about the rising star.

Incidentally, it was Chopra who brought a reluctant Pathirage out of his shell last year when he predicted regular podium finishes for the Sri Lankan when he hesitated to speak English during a post-event press conference at the NC Classic.

Emulating the same consistency he has long admired in Chopra, Pathirage has thrown over 88 meters as many as four times this year.

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has the potential to throw 93-95 meters according to renowned javelin coach Michael Musselman.pic.twitter.com/r6ExMwzZuh

After the Sri Lankan star’s 88.68m victory in Doha, Musselman described the 23-year-old as an “amazing talent” and “the most – Sri Lanka Tweet (@SriLankaTweet) June 20, 2026

Pathirage has made an indelible mark and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem remains a constant threat and the global javelin landscape is shaping up to be a fascinating three-way showdown: India versus Pakistan versus Sri Lanka. Throw in two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, reigning Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago and Kenya’s Julius Yego and the men’s javelin field for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow promises to be an absolute blockbuster.

Chopra didn’t mince words when assessing the depth of the field ahead of the games that kick off on July 23.

“There is a lot of competition in South Asia. The Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games will be as tough as the World Cup and the Olympics. It is good for the Javelin community. Our Javelin is gaining attention in the area. It is a good thing. New talent will come. Rumesh is also a new talent. He is very young.”

Reflecting on his own performance in the Qatari capital, the two-time Olympic medalist was remarkably pleased with the 85.69m performance that earned him fourth place, even though it kept him off the podium for the second consecutive tournament.

India’s talisman was returning from an eight-month layoff after an injury-hindered eighth-place finish at the Tokyo World Championships last year. The result marked the first time in nearly four years that Chopra failed to secure a top-two finish in a competitive match.

HAPPY WITH DOHA PRESENTATION: NEERAJ

Chopra later revealed that he had carried a severe back injury into the World Championships and regretted his decision to compete in Tokyo. The Haryana native explained that his rehabilitation was deeply methodical and took considerably longer than expected as he battled several physical obstacles at the same time.

“This time I didn’t just have one injury. I had two or three injuries. I had an Achilles injury blocking my leg. I had a back injury. I had a shoulder injury and an elbow injury,” he revealed afterwards was crowned the best athlete of the year at the gala evening.

“And I’ve had some sort of groin injury for a long time. So I just thought, I have to do some rehab first. I have to start throwing slowly. It’s not like I’m in a rush. I normally start throwing in January or February. But I started it in May.”

When asked about the importance of maintaining a positive mindset during such a grueling comeback, the champion offered an honest perspective.

“I knew the situation I was in. If I was (fit and normal as before) and I was in 4th or 3rd position, I wouldn’t have accepted it. I wouldn’t have accepted it even if it was 85m. But now I knew the situation I was in. And I had to take it one step at a time. I was happy with whatever throw I got. And I knew my preparation was good.”

In another major development, Chopra confirmed that he has parted ways with the legendary Jan elezn-under, under whom he broke the 90m barrier for the first time in his career at last year’s Doha meeting. Chopra moved on from the Czech icon to join forces with Jai Chaudhary, his long-time elder and childhood mentor.

“I have been in touch with him (Jaiveer) for a long time. But after playing under Zelezny, I don’t know what to expect,” admitted Chopra. “I have to worry

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

21 Jun 2026 08:41 IST