Latest news with #Sreeshankar
Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Aldrin, Shaili struggles weigh on India's long jump
New Delhi: Murali Sreeshankar's 8.13m winning effort at Sunday's World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Bhubaneswar continues his steady comeback after a year out due to injury, but Indian long jump otherwise seemed to have tapered off. Murali Sreeshankar won with a 8.13m effort at Sunday's World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Bhubaneswar. (IIS) Sreeshankar's final jump that ensured victory, although still 14 cm shy of automatic qualification for next month's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, was among the positives from India staging a meet of this stature. The men's javelin competition taking place around the same time at the Kalinga Stadium on a hot and humid evening saw a bunch of Indian throwers perform at a promising level, perhaps a reflection of the Neeraj Chopra effect. It didn't seem the case in long jump. While Sreeshankar was straining to win the event from 21-year-old Shahnavaz Khan – his 8.04m was the best till the 26-year-old bettered it in his final attempt – young national record holder Jeswin Aldrin had hobbled off without a jump, citing a left ankle niggle. At 23, Aldrin, whose national mark of 8.42m was set in 2023, should be touching his prime. However, the Reliance trainee has been grappling with a series of injuries instead. His best this season is 7.83m, at the federation championships in Kochi in April. It wasn't very promising in women's long jump either. Shaili Singh, the Anju Bobby George academy product who is trained by her husband Bobby George, only managed a modest 6.28m. The 21-year-old former junior world silver medallist has a best of 6.76m and touched 6.64m at the April federation championships, but she also said an ankle problem in her take-off leg hampered her. When Sreeshankar was ruled out of the 2024 Paris Olympics with injury, Aldrin was expected to provide a good impression of Indian long jump's progress. But he was eliminated after a best of 7.61m in qualification. The last time Aldrin hit 8 metres was in August 2023. He has also struggled with his left knee that he injured during the Budapest World Championships that year. In 16 competitions since, his best is 7.99m. James Hillier, athletics director at Reliance High Performance Centre, said: 'Jeswin is a tremendous talent but unfortunately he is struggling a little with his body. He'll be back stronger next season.' Last year, only one Indian, Aditya Kumar Singh of Uttar Pradesh, crossed 8m. Shaili's stagnation is surprising. Seen as the one likely to surpass Anju's national mark of 6.83m – it was set in 2004 – since her success as a junior, she finished fifth in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games (6.48m). In Bhubaneswar, Shaili managed only two legal jumps, though her 6.28m was good to win from a depleted field. Ancy Sojan, the Hangzhou silver medallist, pulled out citing a muscle strain in her take-off leg. Since May 2023, Shaili has crossed 6.60m only twice and her chance of qualifying for Tokyo looks dim. The entry standard is 6.86m while Shaili's Road to Tokyo ranking is 61 where only the top 36 qualify. Shaili said: 'I am not too disappointed with the result considering that I was competing with a niggle in the take-off ankle. I'll end my season at the Inter State in Chennai (August 20-24) and take time off for rest and recovery.' Perhaps Aldrin and Shaili will benefit from proper recovery and rehabilitation. Shahnavaz though holds some promise. Sreeshankar's younger training partner at SAI Thiruvananthapuram had a second best effort of 7.88m. 'He is a great kid and an amazing talent to watch out for,' Sreeshankar said. 'Even if I had lost to Shahnavaz, I would have been alright because he is a very good talent.' Bihar's 24-year-old Sunny Kumar is also seen as having potential. He disappointed on Sunday – he was 10th with a best of 7.25m – although Kumar jumped a personal best of 7.90m at the Indian Open in Bengaluru in June. Sreeshankar, Shahnavaz and Kumar are all expected to take part in the Chennai Inter State meet.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sreeshankar simply happy to be back
Bhubaneswar: Murali Sreeshankar calls Kalinga Stadium his lucky ground. It was here that he recorded his first 8m jump (8.20m in 2018) as well as his personal best (8.41m in 2023). Returning to his happy hunting ground after recovering from a career threatening left knee – the surgery has left a long scar – he needed every bit of fortune to win his fourth straight competition in five weeks. Sreeshankar leapt 8.13m in his sixth and last attempt to win the long jump at the World Athletics bronze event in Bhubaneswar. (AFI) Egged on by a passionate crowd, Sreeshankar leapt 8.13m in his sixth and last attempt to steal the thunder from young Shahnavaz Khan, who looked set for a win with his first 8m-plus jump, an 8.04m effort. 'I believe this is Bhubaneswar magic. Whenever I come here, I just do good,' the 26-year-old said. Sreeshankar looked in decent rhythm, two fouls sandwiching attempts of 7.92m, 7.95m, 7.93m before the winning effort to carry his form from Almaty, where he won last week. 'This is the third country that I'm moving past over the past 10 days, so I just need to get some rest before I get ready for a big one at the Inter State (in Chennai). I am happy for Shahnavaz too since we train together and push each other,' the 2023 Asian Games silver medallist, who now trains at SAI Thiruvananthapuram, said. Returning to competition after a gap of more than a year, Sreeshankar has barely had the time to finetune his technique. His days involve spending hours to regain the strength, to gain the confidence needed to trust the repaired knee. 'This season has been all about rehab. From January until now, I've been spending three sessions per week in gym, each session lasting four hours. I started jumping only 2-3 months back. In spikes, I've altogether jumped probably 8-9 times before starting my season.' Still, Sreeshankar looked on course to meet the Tokyo World Championships entry standard of 8.27m. 'I was confident I'll do it. I gained more elevation than I wanted in the last jump and lost about 30cm,' he said. Comeback bids such as these are often as much about the mind too. Career-altering injuries and surgeries can often cast apprehensions in an athlete's mind, affecting performances at crunch moments. For Sreeshankar, it was hardly the case because he had 'beaten death' in past, as he refers to his appendicitis surgery in 2018 that cost him that year's Commonwealth Games. 'I was only a teenager then and that was a life-threatening situation. When you have come back from something like that, these surgeries are easier to deal with,' he said. 'What also gave me confidence were the doctors in Aspetar Hospital in Doha which is probably the best hospital in the world. My case was complicated and even the best doctors said it wasn't up to them. It was probably the end of my career. But the doctors in Doha were very confident. They have taken a graft from my hamstring and wrapped my knee, and put three screws there. I know my knee is pretty strong but it needs some care.' That means a regimented post-event routine involving soft tissue release and rehab exercises. 'It's natural to have some doubts and fear but when I step onto the runway for jumps, my mind goes completely blank.' On Sunday, running in for his last jump, all he thought was giving his all, 'even if I break my leg again.' 'I have come back from much harder situations but there's a close bunch that keeps my spirits high. I lean on Tejaswin Shankar and Neeraj Chopra who have always been very encouraging.' After a two-day break, Sreeshankar will head to Chennai for the Inter State where he'll bid to achieve the entry standard for Tokyo. 'If that happens, it's fine. If not, I'll still be ok, I am just happy to be back competing.'
Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Sreeshankar Murali saves best for last, wins dramatic long jump at Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar
It ain't over till it's over. It is one of the oldest sporting cliches. At the very end of the Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, Sreeshankar Murali brought that sentiment to life in men's long jump, as he took a huge leap and landed with 8.13m from takeoff, recording his own season best and the top attempt by any Indian this year in the discipline. On an evening where Indian performances didn't quite get the juices flowing, Sreeshankar provided a final flourish in style. 'This is my lucky ground. I crossed my 8m mark here and then achieved my personal best of 8.41m at the same ground during the 2023 Federation Cup. I think this is Bhubaneswar magic, whenever I come here, I do well,' Sreeshankar said after his win. Until his last jump, it had looked like Sreeshankar would lose to teenager Shahnavaz Khan, who jumped a new personal best of 8.04m. But the experienced Indian brought all his might in the last jump. Sreeshankar tipped his hat to Shahnavaz for pushing him. 'I'm very happy for Shahnavaz also, he did above 8 meters. He's very young and he has a long way to go. We train together in Trivandrum, we push each other, fight with each other. And we have a very good rapport,' he said in praise of the youngster who was on the brink of pulling off a big upset. While the event crew had already started wrapping up the logistics, Sreeshankar's competitors and the crowd stayed back for his last jump. 'I knew he would do it. His mindset is different than others, and I was cheering for his last jump,' said Sunny Kumar, one of the participants watching on in the long jump. For a moment after the last jump, everyone thought that Sreeshankar might have achieved the World Championships qualification mark. He believed so as well, but it wasn't to be. 'I think in the last jump, I took off early. Like way before the foul board and that is why I gained elevation and lost out on distance,' he explained. 'However, I am happy with the fact that I was consistent throughout the competition. I did three jumps above 7.90m and didn't lose my rhythm.' In the very last jump! Sreeshankar jumps 8.13m to win the title at the Indian Open World Continental Tour. A crazy finish to be honest.@IExpressSports — Pritish Raj (@befikramusafir) August 10, 2025 Sreeshankar was appreciative of the crowd that stayed till the end. 'It is not always that we see such a crowd in an Athletics event here. I am happy to see an enthusiastic crowd and we need more of it,' he added as he continues his good form after returning from a career-threatening injury. That injury resulted in him missing the 2024 Paris Olympics. On his return to action, Sreeshankar is having a solid season, winning all four tournaments he has featured in. However, his return in April means that he has had very little time to qualify for the World Championships. Which is why he has become a globetrotter to play in as many high-ranking tournaments as he can. 'It is a very hectic schedule for me. This is my third country in ten days and I have to travel more,' he said with a sheepish smile. Sreeshankar will have another chance at the Inter-State Athletics Championships this month in Chennai. 'I am happy with his performance, and the best thing is that he is pain-free and his knee is feeling good,' his father Murali said. Even otherwise, Sreeshankar is not losing sleep. 'I am going to give my best shot at the qualification, but if it doesn't happen, I will take a break and move on to the next season.' Neeraj Chopra, India's foremost track and field star, was not part of the event. But it still wasn't a surprise that men's javelin throw drew solid attention from the fans. There was some exciting local talent in the fray, including India's number 2 Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, Rohit Yadav and the latest entrant to 80m club, Shivam Lohakare. But it was Rumesh Pathirage who stunned a partisan crowd and turned it in his favour with his theatrics after he broke the Sri Lankan National Record with a throw of 86.50m. The Sri Lankan duo of Rumesh and Sumedha Ranasinghe ramped up the atmosphere, constantly conversing with each other and involving the crowd with every throw. Despite throwing just twice, both finished in the top three with Sumedha recording 80.65m as his best throw. When Sri Lanka were heading for a 1-2, Shivam's fifth throw increased the decibel level as he managed 80.73m and denied the neighbours. Returning from an injury, Rohit Yadav looked in decent shape, finishing fourth with 80.35m. Interestingly, the podium had been arranged for not just the regular 1-2-3 spots. There was an additional room for fourth-place finishers too. The Indian Athletics caravan will move to Chennai, where athletes will have another chance to get a crack at the World Athletics qualification from 20th August.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Annu Rani goes past 62m, Animesh Kujur takes 200m gold: Snippets from World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar
The highlight of India's first World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar was a dramatic last-ditch effort by the country's ace long jumper Sreeshankar Murali, who clinched his event with a last attempt of 8.13m to stave off the impressive teenager Shahnavaz Khan. The 17-year-old Khan was leading, on the verge of pulling off an upset with his fourth-round jump of 8.04m, while Sreeshankar was second with 7.95m. But the 26-year-old Sreeshankar saved the best for his last try to clinch top spot. Apart from men's long jump, here are four events that stood out at the Kalinga Stadium: The first event of the day started slowly with every eye on veteran Indian thrower Annu Rani. 'Since I have got my rhythm back, I want to achieve the World Championships qualification,' she had told The Indian Express on the eve of the competition. And staying true to her words, Annu came up with two big throws of 62.01m and 61.10m to further solidify her position in the World Championships qualification ranking. The 32-year-old was way clear of the rest of the field as second best thrower was NDL Lekamalage of Sri Lanka with 56.27m. 'Despite fatigue, if I can cross 60m easily, then I guess I am ready for a medal at the Worlds,' said Annu after her win. Probably the most competitive field of the day, men's javelin throw witnessed a stunning opening as Rumesh Pathirage threw 86.50m to record his personal best, set a new Sri Lankan national record, and qualify for the World Championships directly. However, it was a dull show after the starting high as only four Throwers crossed 80m. The latest Indian entrant to the 80m club, Shivam Lohakare denied a 1-2 Sri Lankan finish with 80.73m throw while former Sri Lanka NR holder Sumedha Ranasinghe finished third with 80.65m. World Championships bound Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh had poor outings with best throws of 79.80m and 78.53m. One of the most sought-after race of the evening, the men's 100m had an anti-climactic finish as the winner Muhammad Azeem Fahemi of Malaysia went down immediately after the finish, calling for medical help. The Malaysian clocked 10.35s to win but was in pain after evidently pulling a muscle. Sri Lanka's Chamod Yodhasing finished second with 10.43s and 18-year-old Malaysian Danish Iftikhar came third with 10.50s. It was a disappointing race for the Indians as the fastest man in heats, Harsh Raut finished fifth with 10.56s. The last individual race of the day drew the most cheers as the local lad Animesh Kujur walked on to the track nonchalantly. However, after winning the race with a timing of 20.77s, Animesh said,'Honestly, for the first time I saw a crowd here for athletics and it put a bit pressure on me. I knew I had to perform for them.' It was a special occasion for him as his parents were in attendance, watching him. This is the first time his parents have seen him running since 2022. 'It was exciting to see so many people cheering for him. Never thought of this moment,' his father Amrit Kujur told the media later on. With this win, Animesh has added more ranking points to his kitty, further solidifying his position in the World Championships qualification race.
Mint
a day ago
- Sport
- Mint
Indian Open 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour: Murali Sreeshankar, Annu Rani top podium in Bhubaneswar
Veteran javelin thrower Annu Rani and long jump ace Murali Sreeshankar lived up to expectations on Sunday by winning their respective events at India Open 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar. The bronze level event went off smoothly but the quality of competitions did not rise to any great heights. Sreeshankar was up against rising teenager Shahnavaz Khan, who won gold in Uttarakhand National Games in February. The 17-year-old Khan was leading with his fourth round jump of 8.04m, while Sreeshankar was second with 7.95m. But the 26-year-old Sreeshankar produced 8.13m in his final attempt to take the gold in dramatic fashion for his fourth title in a row since coming back from a long injury lay-off. He is, however, yet to breach the Tokyo World Championships direct entry mark of 8.27m. Khan became the latest entrant to the 8m club in the Indian men's long jump. His earlier best was 7.90m. In women's javelin, Asian Games champion Annu Rani bagged the gold with a fourth round throw of 62.01m, thereby strengthening her chances of making it to the Tokyo World Championships in September. Rani, representing Uttar Pradesh, had another 60m-plus throw -- a 61.01m in her fifth attempt -- as she continued her good form. Before Sunday, the 32-year-old was on 30th spot in the Road to Tokyo list after her season's best of 62.59m in Poland on August 6. Thirty-six athletes are to compete in the women's javelin throw event in Tokyo. She is yet to breach the automatic qualification mark of 64m. On Wednesday, she registered her first 60m-plus throw in more than a year as she won the javelin competition title at the 8th International Wiesław Maniak Memorial meet in Szczecin, Poland. Her national record stands at 63.82m, which she achieved in 2022. Meanwhile, star sprinter Animesh Kujur won gold in the men's 200m. The 22-year-old pulled up after a few paces in his men's 100m heat race in the morning. He then came out to run his 200m heat half an hour later and qualified for the final with a time of 20.99 seconds. In the evening, he ran 20.77 seconds in the 200m final to win the gold. Ko Seunghwan of Korea (20.95 seconds) and another Indian Ragul Kumar (21.17 seconds) were second and third respectively. Kujur, representing Odisha, holds national records in both 100m (10.18 seconds) and 200m (20.32 seconds).
