Sri Lankan javelin star Rumesh Tharanga returned home to a hero’s welcome early Tuesday, 15 September morning, but what should have been a purely triumphant homecoming was marred by profound heartbreak.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe newly crowned World Athletics Ultimate Championship winner revealed that all five of his personal javelins, including the historic spears used to achieve his career-defining throws, were severely damaged during air transit.Julius Yego gifted state-of-the-art present by Hungarian javelin greatTharanga touched down at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK-730 from Istanbul.He was greeted by his family, senior Sports Ministry officials, and high-ranking Sri Lanka Air Force officers following back-to-back victories at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest and the Diamond League final in Zurich.However, the mood shifted rapidly when Tharanga inspected his travel equipment. All five of his competition javelins, valued at over Ksh2.7 million, were found damaged and broken.Among the ruined equipment was the javelin he used to uncork his winning 91.09m mark in Budapest, as well as the spear that powered his massive 92.07m throw in Zurich.History as Kenya lands World Athletics Championships hosting rightsSpeaking to reporters at the airport, an emotional Tharanga admitted that while he usually returns to Sri Lanka filled with joy, he was leaving BIA with immense sadness.The athlete had planned to rely on the elite custom spears for his upcoming campaigns at the Asian Championships, the 2027 World Championships, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, before preserving them as prized career souvenirs.##NAJAVA_MECA_9962394##Tharanga lodged a formal complaint against the airline with Katunayake airport authorities regarding the negligence before leaving the terminal.Following the news, Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry announced it will take immediate steps to provide Tharanga with a replacement set of professional-grade javelins to ensure his ongoing training program remains uninterrupted.