Sreeshankar…tragic mishap.
| Picture Credit score: Reuters
Lengthy jumper M. Sreeshankar, the Commonwealth Video games and Asian Video games silver medallist, has injured his knee and can now miss this July’s Paris Olympics.
“He injured his left knee, the take-off knee, whereas coaching at Palakkad on Tuesday night. There was no inkling that one thing like this could occur, it occurred throughout a brief pop-up bounce. He sat down on the pit instantly,” S. Murali, Sreeshankar’s father who can be his coach, informed The Hindu on Thursday.
“He has been taken to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai…they are saying he wants surgical procedure and it may take about one and half years to regain his previous type.”
Sreeshankar, the No. 2 within the World lengthy bounce listing halfway by way of final 12 months with a private finest 8.41m, tweeted in regards to the damage and mentioned it felt like a nightmare.
“All my life, I’ve had the braveness to have a look at a setback within the eye, settle for conditions I can’t change, and work laborious at dictating the outcomes of these I can. Sadly, in what looks like a nightmare, however is a actuality, my Paris Olympic Video games dream is over,” mentioned Sreeshankar.
The 25-year-old from Palakkad had made the lower for the Paris Olympics as quickly because the qualification doorways opened on July 1, 2023, successful the Asian Championship silver in Bangkok with 8.37m (Olympic entry normal 8.27m) on July 15.
Sreeshankar, who had completed third within the Paris Diamond League final 12 months, had deliberate to open his season on the Shanghai Diamond League subsequent week however the damage has now introduced his season to an early shut.
“To get up wholesome each single day and watch your self get into the very best form of your life is each athlete’s dream. I used to be dwelling it till this incident. Life writes unusual scripts and, generally, there’s braveness in accepting it and shifting on. That’s what I’ll do,” mentioned Sreeshankar.
“My journey to a comeback started the minute I injured my knee. This highway goes to be lengthy, troublesome and can take loads out of me. The great factor is, I’ve loads to present. I’ll overcome this, as a result of that’s what Mamba Mentality is all about,” mentioned the lengthy jumper who idolises the late NBA basketball legend Kobe Bryant.