No, Turkish Airlines Did Not Blame Rumesh Tharanga’s Coach for Breaking His Javelins

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Rumesh Tharanga, the world number one ranked javelin thrower, returned home from a tournament victory in Hungary only to find all five of his valuable javelins broken and severely damaged. As sympathy poured in, a very different story began to spread online: a post claimed Turkish Airlines had told Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Sports that the equipment was already damaged before it was even loaded onto the aircraft, and that Tharanga’s own coach, Tony Prasanna, had deliberately broken the javelins over a political grudge. The post carried the official news format of a well-known local broadcaster to look authentic. Here are the posts that carried it.

Social Media Posts

The post was dressed up to look like an official news bulletin from the Sri Lankan media outlet Sirasa News 1st.

Facebook | Archived Link  Facebook | Archived Link

Facebook | Archived Link

Mainstream Media Has Not Reported This Claim

The damage to Tharanga’s equipment had already drawn international attention, with The New York Times and Al Jazeera both reporting on it. Had Turkish Airlines genuinely notified Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports in the way the post described, mainstream and international outlets alike would certainly have carried the story. No such report existed anywhere.

A check of News 1st’s official Facebook page confirmed the outlet had published no such bulletin. Its manager also confirmed the card was a fabrication built to imitate their official format, and that they had never run any such story.

The Deputy Minister of Sports Made No Such Statement

We contacted the media secretary of the Ministry of Sports about the incident. He said Turkish Airlines had at no point told the Ministry of Sports or the aviation authorities that coach Tony Prasanna had broken or damaged the javelins before they were loaded. Prasanna had confirmed that all five javelins were handed to the airline safely and undamaged.

Deputy Minister Sugath Thilakaratne had made no statement claiming the airline notified the Ministry as described. The Ministry said any quote or media report attributing such a statement to the Deputy Minister or ministry officials was fabricated.

The Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation were formally engaging with Turkish Airlines over the alleged negligence in baggage handling, and a compensation process was underway. To keep Tharanga’s training for the upcoming Asian Games on track, the Ministry of Youth and Sports was also arranging new, standard quality javelins at government expense to replace the damaged set.

The Coach and the Athlete Both Denied the Claim

When we reached coach Tony Prasanna, he rejected the allegations outright, confirming that all five javelins had been handed to the airline at the airport in perfect condition. He said the incident was being politicized to spread false information, and that instead of valuing Tharanga’s talent and the team’s dedication, such fabricated posts were designed to damage their reputation.

Rumesh Tharanga himself also confirmed that the posts circulating online were false, and that all his javelin equipment had been handed to the airline in good condition.

Background to the Incident

The damage first came to light through a post on Tharanga’s own Facebook account, which hinted, in a sarcastic note of thanks, that the equipment had been ruined through Turkish Airlines’ negligence.

Facebook

He had flown from Hungary to Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK730. When he inspected his luggage after landing, he found that all five of the competition javelins he had used for throws beyond 92 meters were completely broken and severely damaged. Tharanga then lodged a formal complaint at the airport.

The damage was suspected to have occurred through oversight or careless baggage handling during transit. A special discussion was subsequently held with Turkish Airlines representatives, chaired by Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janith Ruwan Kodithuwakku, and attended by Civil Aviation Authority officials.

At that meeting the Turkish Airlines representatives officially expressed regret and agreed to run an internal investigation into how the damage happened. At a follow-up meeting held at the Civil Aviation Authority premises on the 15th, they assured that the damage would be assessed promptly and full compensation paid to the athlete without delay.

With Tharanga due to compete at the Asian Games 2026, the loss severely disrupted his training. Acting quickly, the Ministry of Sports assured that, to protect its Olympic and international medal ambitions, it would move at once to buy a new, internationally certified javelin set entirely at government expense.

Rumesh Tharanga’s Talent and International Medals

At just 23, Rumesh Tharanga has lifted Sri Lanka’s name to unprecedented heights in world javelin. His major achievements are as follows.

World Athletics Ultimate Championship Gold Medal (2026, Budapest): won the inaugural title with a throw of 91.09 meters.

Diamond League Champion (2026): became the first Sri Lankan to win the Diamond League trophy, sealing victory at the final in Brussels. He also set a national record of 92.62 meters in Rome.

Commonwealth Games Gold Medal (2026, Glasgow): won gold by beating India’s Neeraj Chopra.

Asian Throwing Championship Gold Medal (2025): won gold with a throw of 82.05 meters.

South Asian Athletics Championship Gold Medal (2025): set a new championship record of 84.29 metres and was the standout athlete of the meet.

World Athletics Championships (Tokyo 2025): qualified for the final and finished 7th, becoming the first Sri Lankan male athlete ever to reach a World Athletics Championships final.

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Conclusion

The damage to Rumesh Tharanga’s javelins happened during airline transit, not at the hands of his coach. Turkish Airlines never told the Ministry of Sports otherwise, News 1st never published the bulletin the post imitated, and both the coach and the athlete confirmed the equipment was handed over intact.

The fabricated posts, disguised in the News 1st news format, appear designed to defame the coach of an athlete who has brought Sri Lanka enormous pride, for the sake of political advantage. We therefore mark this claim False.