Sreeshankar’s coach Murali left out of team for Worlds

S. Murali had helped Sreeshankar to his national record effort of 8.20m late last year.

Murali Sreeshankar will be going to Doha without his father and coach S. Murali.

He is one of India’s most consistent athletes, the national record holder and one with the potential to reach the final at next week’s World Athletics Championships. But M. Sreeshankar will be going to Doha without his father and coach S. Murali.

“They have not put me in the team. It’s okay, I will try to book my own tickets and go to Doha. But since it’s the World championships, I can only watch him from the stands, I hope I can manage a seat near the long jump area,” Murali, who has helped Sreeshankar to his national record effort of 8.20m late last year, told Sportstar on Wednesday.

A few months ago, Chief National Coach Bahadur Singh said Murali had done an excellent job with Sreeshankar and picked the youngster as a medal prospect in the 2024 Olympics. That is why the Athletics Federation of India allowed the Kerala athlete to train with Murali, a former triple jump international, at his base in Palakkad.

“There will be somebody to look after him in Doha, Sreeshankar will come up with a good performance,” said Bahadur on Wednesday. Volker Herrmann, the AFI's new high performance director, will likely be guiding the long jumper in Doha.