AHMEDABAD: Murali long jumper Sreeshankar considers the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games a “breakthrough” in his career and says the podium in Birmingham gave him the perfect boost to take his performance to the next level.
Sreeshankar took silver in the men’s long jump in Birmingham this year CTM with an effort of 8.08m.
He represents Kerala in National games which started with the table tennis event in Gujarat on Tuesday.
“The season has been a great learning experience for me. I’ve been competing since March and to maintain the kind of performance until August-September, honestly, it was very difficult. There was a lot of travel, we had to adapt to different climate conditions and then compete with the best in the world,” he said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
“I had a kind of breakthrough in my career with the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. My ranking also improved a lot. I was somewhere in my 60s when the season was about to start. From there I have to build, Paris (Olympic Games) is only two years away and I’m sure I can build from here.”
Sreeshankar said he will regularly focus on top international events, like the diamond leagues, in the future.
“Next season I expect to be more consistent in the international circuit, more frequent in the Diamond League circuit. Getting to the top is tough, but I’m sure it’s possible with more international exposure” , did he declare.
“Asian Games, CWG, National Games, all these competitions are in preparation for the Paris Olympics. The medals in these events will definitely lift my spirits before Paris. I want to continue the same momentum in the Asian Games.”
The 23-year-old long jumper from Palakkad in Kerala expects tough competition at the National Games, especially in the jumping events.
“For jumpers, the National Games are not a walk in the park. We have three jumpers above 8.15.
“We have to think of every national championship as a world-level tournament, because the competition is very high, the national circuit is very competitive. We have to be at our best,” he said.
“We are really excited about the National Games as it is my first and it is taking place after a long hiatus of seven years.
“For us, the National Games are as important as any other major tournament as it is the biggest sporting spectacle in the country. All the athletes will gather in one place and celebrate Indian sports.”
Sreeshankar believes a good performance at the National Games will help him immensely ahead of next season.
“I am also continuing the same training schedule for the Asian Games. I think strong performances here will help me plan my season better.
“I have my goals, but the most important thing for me here is to enjoy the competition, because the season has been quite long and I want to end the season on a very high note. My body feels really good. I’m giving priority in this competition,” he said.
Sreeshankar took silver in the men’s long jump in Birmingham this year CTM with an effort of 8.08m.
He represents Kerala in National games which started with the table tennis event in Gujarat on Tuesday.
“The season has been a great learning experience for me. I’ve been competing since March and to maintain the kind of performance until August-September, honestly, it was very difficult. There was a lot of travel, we had to adapt to different climate conditions and then compete with the best in the world,” he said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
“I had a kind of breakthrough in my career with the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. My ranking also improved a lot. I was somewhere in my 60s when the season was about to start. From there I have to build, Paris (Olympic Games) is only two years away and I’m sure I can build from here.”
Sreeshankar said he will regularly focus on top international events, like the diamond leagues, in the future.
“Next season I expect to be more consistent in the international circuit, more frequent in the Diamond League circuit. Getting to the top is tough, but I’m sure it’s possible with more international exposure” , did he declare.
“Asian Games, CWG, National Games, all these competitions are in preparation for the Paris Olympics. The medals in these events will definitely lift my spirits before Paris. I want to continue the same momentum in the Asian Games.”
The 23-year-old long jumper from Palakkad in Kerala expects tough competition at the National Games, especially in the jumping events.
“For jumpers, the National Games are not a walk in the park. We have three jumpers above 8.15.
“We have to think of every national championship as a world-level tournament, because the competition is very high, the national circuit is very competitive. We have to be at our best,” he said.
“We are really excited about the National Games as it is my first and it is taking place after a long hiatus of seven years.
“For us, the National Games are as important as any other major tournament as it is the biggest sporting spectacle in the country. All the athletes will gather in one place and celebrate Indian sports.”
Sreeshankar believes a good performance at the National Games will help him immensely ahead of next season.
“I am also continuing the same training schedule for the Asian Games. I think strong performances here will help me plan my season better.
“I have my goals, but the most important thing for me here is to enjoy the competition, because the season has been quite long and I want to end the season on a very high note. My body feels really good. I’m giving priority in this competition,” he said.