{
  "id": 10563711,
  "title": "Tharanga seals remarkable season with Asian Games gold",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/tharanga-seals-remarkable-season-with-asian-games-gold",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T00:00:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/tharanga-seals-remarkable-season-with-asian-games-gold/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga secured an impressive gold medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Monday. Despite facing challenging wet weather and a slow runway, Tharanga delivered a remarkable performance, emerging victorious from a highly anticipated competition. As the overwhelming favorite after a series of global victories, Tharanga began the event with 73.52m in the first round, trailing his South Asian competitors, including reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan. Tharanga surged ahead at the halfway point with a massive 88.33m throw, ultimately clinching the gold with a final throw of 88.55m. Veteran coach Susantha Fernando praised Tharanga's performance, stating that it was an incredible display in these wet conditions. Tharanga, the season's leading thrower and world No. 1, had previously set a national record with a throw of 92.62m in June. He had also won the Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow in July and the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest this month, becoming the first Sri Lankan to achieve such success. Despite struggling in the wet conditions, Y. Singh and R. Yadav from India took silver and bronze, respectively, with 85.72m and 84.35m. Nadeem finished just outside the podium with 80.29m. In another notable performance, hurdler Ayomal Akalanka secured a fifth-place finish in the men's 400m hurdles, clocking 49.37 seconds.",
  "summary": "by Reemus Fernando World javelin leader Rumesh Tharanga lived up to his billing to win Sri Lanka a highly anticipated gold medal, overcoming wet weather and a slow runway at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Monday. The overwhelming favourite after a string of victories at global level this year, Tharanga made an […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
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        "title": "Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew through to Asian Games badminton singles final after beating South Korea’s Yoo",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/singapores-loh-kean-yew-through-to-asian-games-badminton-singles",
        "published": "2026-09-28T06:04:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Khaosod English",
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/puripol-shares-asian-200m-record-after-asian-games-gold",
        "published": "2026-09-28T07:39:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "'Hurting' badminton star Sindhu says Asian Games schedule 'took toll'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/hurting-badminton-star-sindhu-says-asian-games-schedule-took-toll",
        "published": "2026-09-28T07:41:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "'Hurting' badminton star Sindhu says Asian Games schedule 'took toll'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/hurting-badminton-star-sindhu-says-asian-games-schedule-took-toll-10407535",
        "published": "2026-09-28T09:05:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Asian Games hit by fresh transport blunder as Pakistan team driven to wrong venue",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/asian-games-hit-by-fresh-transport-blunder-as-pakistan-team-driven-to",
        "published": "2026-09-28T10:03:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Asian Games: Arshad Nadeem finishes fourth as Rumesh Pathirage strikes javelin gold in rainy Nagoya",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/asian-games-arshad-nadeem-finishes-fourth-as-rumesh-pathirage-strikes",
        "published": "2026-09-28T13:20:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Keralam long jumper Sreeshankar’s silver at Asian Games brings cheers to Yakkara",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/keralam-long-jumper-sreeshankars-silver-at-asian-games-brings-cheers",
        "published": "2026-09-28T15:22:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}