Sreeshankar targets 2028 gold after Asian Games silver in Japan

Long jumper M. Sreeshankar, who won the silver medal at the Asian Games in Japan, said on Friday at his residence in Palakkad that he is confident his fourth career silver will eventually lead to a major gold and that he hopes to achieve that in 2028. He noted the silver came despite an injury sustained on his fourth attempt in the competition.

Speaking to reporters after returning from Japan, Mr. Sreeshankar said his physical condition and preparation were sufficient for an 8.20 m-plus jump but that a slip affected his performance. “My body condition was good. I had all the conditions required to jump 8.20 m-plus. So, during the jump aimed at reaching 8.20 m, my leg went a bit forward, and I suddenly slipped and fell like Superman,” he said.

Mr. Sreeshankar said he had missed gold by very narrow margins on previous occasions and believed those experiences were leading him towards a major triumph. When asked whether winning the medal was a stroke of luck, he described the competition's conditions as unpredictable.

Commenting on the weather at the event, he said: “Definitely. Because in these weather conditions, the performance could go either way. It was raining heavily, but alongside the rain, it was also humid. So, jumping above 8 metres gave me good confidence,” he said.

He said he had expected jumps in the range of 8.10 m or 8.15 m but regarded his 8.07 m effort as satisfactory given the circumstances. Mr. Sreeshankar added that the heat, humidity and rain had caused cramps among several athletes and that adapting to those conditions was crucial to winning a medal.

Mr. Sreeshankar noted that all five athletes in the competition had previously recorded jumps of around 8.30 m or 8.40 m, which made the event closely contested. He said the athletes finishing behind him had recorded jumps of 8.05 m and 8.06 m, with the second, third and fourth positions separated by just one centimetre.

He reported that his muscles began cramping from his third attempt, which forced him to approach subsequent jumps cautiously to avoid worsening the injury. “I only had the intention of just completing that jump. If I applied too much force, those cramped muscles might have led to further injury. So, I had to take that attempt very easily,” he said.

Palakkad MP V.K. Sreekandan and Palakkad MLA Ramesh Pisharody visited Mr. Sreeshankar’s residence to congratulate him on his silver medal. He concluded by stating: “If I get a gold in 2028, then everything will be compensated, for sure.”