murali sreeshankar – Artifex.News

Sreeshankar eyes a good showing at Indian Athletics Series

admin — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:13:00 +0000

Murali Sreeshankar believes his recent training stint in South Africa will help him do better in major events – like the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games – lined up later this year.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The sixth leg of the Indian Athletics Series, beginning at the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday and part of the 16-leg nationwide circuit running from April to September, will be a huge preparatory exercise for athletes like star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and others.

The Athletics Federation of India has made participation mandatory in a minimum of two domestic meets to be considered for the National Federation Cup in Ranchi from May 22 to 25 (it is the final selection trials for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games to be held in July-August). For the 27-year-old Sreeshankar the meet assumes significance and he is keen to perform well here.

“Heading up to Federation Cup and rest of the season, so obviously the target is to be in good shape for the main events including the CWG and Asian Games. I am looking forward to a good performance here,” he told presspersons after his training session on Saturday.

Sreeshankar, a silver medallist in the 2022 CWG, said the training stint recently in South Africa was quite competitive and is bound to help him in future events.

“I trained for three weeks in the North West Academy of Sport in Potchefstroom, South Africa and did 8.12m in a meet in Pretoria. The cold weather in South Africa and Glasgow CWG will be similar, which might help me,” he said.

Published – May 09, 2026 08:48 pm IST

Source link

Indian Athletics 2024: Neeraj Chopra Shining But Dope Cheats Also Thriving

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 09:19:42 +0000

Gold eluded him and so did the 90m mark but Neeraj Chopra was the undisputed star of Indian athletics for yet another year even as the sport itself continued a long-standing battle with dope cheats while trying to assert itself internationally by bringing big-ticket events to the country. The 26-year-old javelin throw superstar failed to defend his Olympic gold but became the most successful Indian athlete across disciplines in individual sports with his silver medal in the Paris Games. He also finished second in the prestigious Diamond League Finale.

Creditably, he achieved both the accolades while carrying an injury. A nagging adductor niggle (a problem related to thigh muscles) troubled him in the run-up to Paris Olympics and a fracture in his left hand hit him ahead of DL Finale. Chopra later said that his injury is fine.

He was beaten for the Olympic gold by Pakistani Arshad Nadeem, who surprised the world with a Games record throw of 92.97m.

In the DL Finale, Anderson Peters of Grenada, who was struggling after back-to-back world crowns in 2019 and 2022, completed his comeback by winning the title.

Lessons for Chopra

Chopra and those who have followed his growth have been obsessed with the 90m mark. There is never an interaction where the Panipat-based lad is not asked when and how he would breach it.

He came reasonably close twice this year, one occasion being the Olympic finals, but it was not to be.

India’s golden boy, whose personal best is 89.94m, has gone for a new coach keeping in mind the World Championships next year.

Steering him the coming season would be none other than world record holder and three-time Olympic gold-medallist Jan Zelezny, without doubt the greatest javelin thrower in history.

This was after Chopra parted ways with 75-year-old German biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz with whom he was associated for five years, winning a gold and a silver each in the Olympics and the World Championships.

His season still some months away, Chopra is resting and recuperating for now but he is well aware that every move he makes after this break would be closely tracked.

Likes of Sable and men’s 4x400m quartet disappoint

India’s top 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable failed to go beyond winning medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. He finished 11th in the Paris Olympics final.

Another highlight for him was making it to the Diamond League Finale, after a few higher-ranked competitors pulled out. But he couldn’t really set the stage on fire and ended up in ninth place.

Another world class athlete, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar missed the Olympics due to a knee injury and subsequent surgery.

The men’s 4x400m relay team set an Asian record of 3:00.25 at the Tokyo Olympics and followed it up by challenging USA’s aura of invincibility at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest where another Asian record of 2:59.05 was set.

The Athletics Federation of India had high hopes of the relay team achieving something big at the Paris Olympics but team failed to even reach the finals.

Hall of Shame

The menace of doping did not leave Indian athletics and the country’s credibility of its continued to dwindle internationally.

The World Anti-Doping Agency named India as the second worst after Russia in a 10-year global study of positive doping cases by minors. Among the stars to let the country down was 2016 Rio Olympian quarter-miler Nirmala Sheoran, who copped an eight-year ban for a second dope offence.

Hammer thrower Rachna Kumari was banned for 12 years for failing multiple dope tests conducted by the international federation’s Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Distance runner G Lakshmanan (for whereabouts failure) and sprinter Himani Chandel were handed handed two and four-year bans respectively.

Rising javelin thrower DP Manu failed a dope test ahead of Paris Olympics., while former national record holding race walker Bhawna Jat was handed a 16-month ban for ”whereabouts failure”.

‘Middle distance runner Parvej Khan, who made headlines with his exploits at the NCAA circuit in the USA, also failed a dope test along with Asian Games 4x400m relay gold-winning quarter-miler VK Vismaya.

National Record Breakers

There were some national records broken too. Sable continued to be his own competitor in men’s 3000m steeplechase, clocking 8:09.91sec during the Paris Diamond League for a new national mark.

Akshdeep Singh (men’s 20km race walk), Gulveer Singh (men’s 5,000m and 10000m), KM Deeksha (women’s 1500m), and Abha Khatua (women’s shot put) were also among those who bettered national records in their respective events.

Global events come to India

India will host the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze level meet in Bhubaneswar on August 10, 2025.

The Continental Tour is an annual series of international track and field competitions, which forms the second tier of one-day meetings after the prestigious Diamond League.

This will be the first global athletics meet to be hosted by India after the international permit meets in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the World Half Marathon Championships in 2004.

India has also submitted its bid for the 2028 World U20 Championships. The country last year expressed its interest to host the 2029 World Championships, and the bidding process is likely to start early 2025.

But with issues like doping still a massive problem with no firm solution in sight, it remains to be seen whether the Indian athletics story manages to find success beyond Chopra’s individual brilliance.

Topics mentioned in this article

Source link

AFI Signs Multi-Year Deal With Sports Wear Brand Puma

admin — Thu, 16 May 2024 09:06:16 +0000

Indian athletes in new kit

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday announced that it has signed a multi-year deal with the sports wear brand Puma, which will now provide apparel, footwear and accessories to around 400 Indian athletes during domestic and international tournaments. Being the official kit sponsor, Puma’s accessories will be used by top Indian athletes including Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary.

“As an athlete training for 12 years, I know the importance of high-quality gear for high-level practice. With AFI teaming up with global sports brand, Indian athletes across all levels will now have access to training gear of international excellence, assisting us to express our best in our game now,” Chopra was quoted as saying in a release.

“This partnership signals the bright future of Indian sport,” he added.

This is the first time Indian athletes will get access to world-class speed suits that Puma supplies globally to other athletes. The speed suits are designed to aid freedom of movement, aerodynamics and faster speed, supporting athletes to focus solely on their performance and increase efficiency,” the press release mentioned.

Karthik Balagopalan, Managing Director, PUMA India said, “At PUMA, we strongly believe in serving the athletes and helping them realise their full potential with our world class performance products. We are thrilled to partner with the Athletics Federation of India and help our athletes perform at the highest levels in various sporting disciplines across the globe. Together with Athletics Federation of India, we will accelerate this transformative journey in Indian athletics.”

AFI President Adille Sumariwalla said, “Our association with Puma represents a significant milestone for India’s athletes. With their high-quality gear, we are not only enhancing the performance of athletes but also creating a culture of excellence within the country’s sporting community. We are confident that this partnership will propel Indian athletics to new heights on the global stage.”

Topics mentioned in this article

Source link

Asian Games 2023: Murali Sreeshankar Secures Silver, Double Delight In Men’s 1500m

admin — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 15:04:12 +0000

India’s Murali Sreeshankar on Sunday won a silver medal in the Men’s Long Jump Final with a best finish of 8.19 meters at the ongoing 19th Asian Games. Meanwhile, Jeswin Aldrin finished in 8th position in the same event with a best jump of 7.76m. China’s long jumpers took home gold and bronze as Wang Jianan finished at the top of the podium with best jump of 8.22m, while Shi Yuhao bagged third spot with 8.10m. Sreeshankar started his event with a failed attempt however he recovered well and in his second attempt, with a jump of 7.97 metres. Sreeshankar with a fantastic jump crossed the 8-metre mark and landed a jump of 8.01m. With this leap, he jumped up to the second position.

However, the jump’s legality was checked. He has a brief discussion with the umpires, explaining his side of the story.

(Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)

Later the jump was given as a legal jump and he scored 8.19. He was just 0.03 behind China’s Wang.

Sreeshankar did not get the finish that he wanted as he concluded the event with a score of 8.19 start. Sreeshankar gave it his all but just by a margin of 3cm, he finished second.

It is raining medals for India in the track and field event on Sunday as Avinash Sable won the gold medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase by creating a new Asian Games record.

Double delight in 1500m race

Indian runners displayed outstanding performances in the Men’s 1500m Athletics Event as Ajoy Kumar Saroj bagged silver while Jinson Johnson took home a bronze medal at the ongoing 19th Asian Games.

They finished just behind Qatar’s Algarni and a last-minute boost by Jinson helped him go past the third position runner to finish third. Saroj finished with a score of 3:38.94 and Johnson clocked 3:39.74.

For the first time ever since 1962 Asiad, India won 2 medals in the Men’s 1500m as Ajay Saroj and reigning Champion Jinson Johnson finished second and third respectively in the Men’s 1500m race.

This was the third Asian Games medal for Jinson.

In the women’s 1500m race, Harmilan Bains bagged a silver medal. It was a close race throughout and Bains added a silver medal to India’s tally. Bains finishes with a time of 4:12.74 minutes.

Topics mentioned in this article

Source link

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Highlights: Neeraj Chopra Finishes Second With 85.71m Throw

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:44:25 +0000

Zurich Diamond League Highlights: Neeraj Chopra finished second© AFP

Neeraj Chopra and Murali Sreeshankar, Zurich Diamond League Highlights: Neeraj Chopra finished in second spot with a 85.71m throw at the Diamond League meet in Zurich. He began with 80.79m throw in his first attempt followed by two foul throws. He got a 85.22 throw in the fourth attempt but his fifth attempt was once again a foul throw. Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar is going strong as he is third in his event.

Here are the Highlights of Diamond League meet in Zurich:

‘;
var top_googleplus=”‘;
var top_facebook = ‘

‘;
var top_pinterest=”

‘;

html = html + top_twitter + top_googleplus + top_facebook + top_pinterest;
html = html + ‘

‘;
document.write(html);
(function () {
var po = document.createElement(‘script’); po.type=”text/javascript”; po.async = true;
po.src = document.location.protocol +
‘//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js’;
var s = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);
})();

September01202301:28 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Neeraj finishes 2nd!

A second place finish for Neeraj Chopra as he ended with a 85.71m throw on his final attempt.

September01202301:10 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Another false throw!

Third false throw in five attempts and Neeraj Chopra continues to be in the second position.

September01202301:00 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Sreeshankar finishes 5th!

A fifth place finish for Murali Sreeshankar in Men’s Long Jump with 7.99m.

September01202300:58 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Neeraj 2nd!

Neeraj Chopra takes the second spot with a 85.22m throw! What a throw from the Indian javelin star!

September01202300:53 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Neeraj’s 4th attempt!

Time for Neeraj Chopra’s fourth attempt and he will now go fifth among the eight athletes in the event.

September01202300:45 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: 5th attempt for Sreeshankar!

7.93m in the fifth attempt for Murali Sreeshankar and he continues to hold on to the third position.

September01202300:33 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Not looking good!

Another foul throw from Neeraj Chopra and he remains in the 5th spot. Not a great outing for the world champion till now!

September01202300:30 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Sreeshankar 2nd!

Good show from Murali Sreeshankar till now as he is second in Men’s Long Jump after three attempts.

September01202300:25 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Foul throw!

Neeraj Chopra down to third now after a foul throw in his second attempt.

September01202300:22 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Slow start!

It was not a great start for Neeraj Chopra as he is currently second.

September01202300:17 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: First attempt for Neeraj!

Neeraj Chopra starts with a 80.79m throw in his first attempt.

September01202300:15 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Second attempt for Sreeshankar!

Murali Sreeshankar continues to impress with a second attempt of 7.96m but he has come down to the second spot.

September01202300:09 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Almost time for Neeraj!

It is almost time for Neeraj Chopra as the men’s javelin throw event is about to begin! Huge hope for India!

September01202300:01 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Sreeshankar starts well!

Murali Sreeshankar has taken the lead after his first attempt of 7.99m!

August31202323:55 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Historic feat!

Olympic champion Chopra began with a foul but jumped to top spot with his second throw, and from thereon, he led the field till the end.

Neeraj Chopra has now become only the second Indian — after legendary shooter Abhinav Bindra — to simultaneously hold the Olympics and World Championships title. Bindra won the World Championships title when he was 23, and the Olympics gold at 25.

August31202323:47 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Huge prize money!

On winning a gold medal at the World Championships, Neeraj received a cash prize of $70000, which is close to 58 lakh rupees. On the other hand, his Pakistan opponent Arshad got $35,000, around 29 lakh rupees. Meanwhile, Vadlejch, who also finished on the podium received a sum of $22,000, close to 18 lakh.

August31202323:33 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Murali Sreeshankar!

Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar will also be in action and he would be looking to redeem himself after failing to qualify for the final round at the World Championships.

Sreeshankar, who has a season’s and personal best of 8.41m, jumped a below-par 7.74m to finish 22nd overall in the qualification round. He is currently third in the long jump standings of this Diamond League season, with 10 points from two events.

August31202323:25 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Official timings!

Neeraj Chopra’s event will start at 12:12 AM IST on Friday morning while Sreeshankar will be seen contesting in the long jump event from 11:54 PM IST.

August31202323:17 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Diamond League!

The Zurich leg is the last one in the Diamond League series where men’s javelin throw event is on the roster before the season finale in Eugene, USA on September 16-17 where the Diamond League champion will be crowned.

August31202323:05 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Current standings!

Neeraj Chopra, who won the Diamond League final trophy last year, sits third with 16 points from two events. Vadlejch (21 points from three events) and Weber (19 from three events), who finished fourth in Budapest with 85.79m, are on top and at second place respectively.

August31202322:56 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Familiar opposition!

In Zurich, where he is competing four days after being crowned world champion, Chopra will be up against familiar rivals like Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, bronze winner in Budapest with 86.67m, Julian Weber of Germany and two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.

Only Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, silver medallist in Budapest, will not be there in Zurich.

August31202322:47 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Record alert!

Neeraj Chopra became only the third javelin thrower in history to hold both the Olympic and World Championships titles after world record holder Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway.

August31202322:37 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Perfect answer!

A reporter asked Neeraj’s mother Saroj Devi in a press conference how she felt to see her son beating a Pakistani athlete. She won many hearts with her response, saying it doesn’t matter which place the athlete comes from.

“Look, all have come to play in the field. One or the other will definitely win. So there is no question of being from Pakistan or Haryana,”, adding, “It is a matter of happiness. Even if that Pakistani had won, there would’ve been great happiness,” she said.

August31202322:32 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Neeraj’s modest answer!

On being asked about how he felt after winning the gold medal, Neeraj said that he controlled his tears and would look to deliver a better performance than this in his next attempt.

“Thought I’d get emotional but didn’t cry. I tend to control myself emotionally but these are proud moments and the adrenaline is such that you end up crying sometimes. Hopefully, I’ll throw better next time and cry with you all. Even after the second throw today, I was thinking that I should be pushing myself more as I was feeling that a better throw would come,” Neeraj told NDTV.

August31202322:27 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Neeraj power!

Neeraj Chopra will be coming to the tournament with a lot of confidence after clinching a historic gold medal in the World Championships and another good performance here will truly put him on a brilliant position ahead of Asian Games.

August31202322:18 (IST)

Zurich Diamond League 2023 Live Updates: Welcome guys!

Hello guys, welcome to the live blog of Diamond League meet. India’s javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and long jumper Murali Sreeshankar will be competing in their respective events tonight. Stay connected.

Source link