Sreeshankar confident of podium finish at Commonwealth Games

Eager to make a comeback after a poor campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, long jumper M. Sreeshankar feels the new season will be very challenging as there will be quite a few major National and International tournaments culminating in the Asian Games in September.

Published : Feb 20, 2022 18:36 IST , Chennai

M. Sreeshankar with Johny Tom Varghese, Director, Welfare of Differently Abled, Govt. of Tamil Nadu at the KESPA-V.P. Sathyan memorial award function on Sunday.
M. Sreeshankar with Johny Tom Varghese, Director, Welfare of Differently Abled, Govt. of Tamil Nadu at the KESPA-V.P. Sathyan memorial award function on Sunday.
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M. Sreeshankar with Johny Tom Varghese, Director, Welfare of Differently Abled, Govt. of Tamil Nadu at the KESPA-V.P. Sathyan memorial award function on Sunday.

Long jumper M. Sreeshankar is raring to go after the debacle at the the Tokyo Olympics. He recorded distances of 7.69m, 7.51m and 7.43m, to finish 13th in the qualification round and failed to progress to the final.

Now eyeing a comeback, the 22-year-old feels the new season will be very challenging as there will be quite a few major National and International tournaments culminating in the Asian Games in September.

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In Chennai to receive the Kerala Sportspersons Association (KESPA)-V. P. Sathyan award (carrying a cash award of Rs. 25,000), Sreeshankar, on Sunday, said he is looking for consistency in all the meets that he’s participating in the forthcoming season and that a medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games is his immediate target.

“I am pretty confident of winning a medal in Commonwealth Games. This time in the 2020-21 CWG rankings, I am ranked below two strong Jamaicans. A jump of 8.20m is definitely a medal whether it is the CWG, Asian Games or World University Games, an 8.30m is a medal in Olympics and Asian Games. It all depends on whether I am able to produce that mark on the particular day,” said Sreeshankar, who created a new National record with a leap of 8.26m in the 2021 Federation Cup in Patiala, to Sportstar .

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Currently training in Pallakad with his father Murali, Sreeshankar is satisfied with the preparations in his hometown. He further said he will consider going back to the National camp in Bengaluru based on how he performs in Federation Cup in April.

“We have set up all the required facilities [in Pallakad]. I have a good personal gym, a recovery system a large track there. I am satisfied with the training. In terms of climate, too, it is good there. We have asked permission from Athletics Federation of India to train in Pallakad till the Federation Cup to see how everything goes. We will then take a call,” he said.

Sreeshankar will begin his new season with the National jumps championships beginning in Thiruvananthapuram on March 1. “I will be taking part in only one Grand Prix on March 13. It will be followed by the Federation Cup in Kozhikode. There is a break in between and then I proceed to World Indoor championships in Belgrade, and a few European circuit events in and around Italy and World University Games in Chengdu (China), the World Outdoor championships in Eugene, USA and then the CWG in July 2022. It is very challenging,” he said.

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