Long jump Olympian Murali Sreeshankar has been honored with the 35th Jimmy George Foundation Award for the best sportsperson in Kerala. The award consists of one lakh rupees and a plaque.

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The winner was selected by a committee with Chairman Jose George and members Anju Bobby George, Robert Bobby, Sebastian and Stanley. The award will be presented to Murali Sreeshankar at the Jimmy George Sports Academy at Peravoor, Kannur, on December 22.

Murali Sreeshankar, who participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, gained international attention after winning a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He won silver medals in the Asian Games in China and Asian Championships in Thailand and also a bronze in the Paris Diamond League this year. The No.4 athlete was also seventh in the World Championships in the USA last year.

Murali Sreeshankar left sprinting at the age of 13 and later pursued a career in the long jump. Till the age of 20, he has crossed the distance of 8m thrice. Murali engraved the logo Olympics (5 rings) on his bedroom mirror after being qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He used to practice in Palakkad's government medical college's ground for practicing for Tokyo Olympics.

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Murali Sreeshankar began his career by sprinting and won state-level under-10 championships in 50 and 100 meters respectively. He won the gold medal at the Federation Cup Senior National Athletics championships, Patiala in March 2018. He is the 4th athlete from Kerala to qualify for Olympics since 1972. Murali gained his first international medal in 2018 at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Gifu, Japan.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced a multi-year partnership with sports apparel brand 'Puma' on Thursday.

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With this, PUMA will provide uniforms, shoes, and other equipment to about 400 Indian players during domestic and international tournaments.

As the AFI's official kit sponsor, top Indian athletes will be wearing PUMA accessories including Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, and steeplechase athlete Parul Chaudhary.

NEW LOOK. Elite Indian athletes will compete in @PUMA sports apparel at international level in future. @Paris2024 #Puma @Neeraj_chopra1 @Media_SAI @RECLindia pic.twitter.com/10NtH2CC6D

— Athletics Federation of India (@afiindia) May 16, 2024

According to the release, Neeraj Chopra said, "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. This partnership signals the bright future of Indian sport,"

This will be the first time that Indian players will get to wear the world class ‘Speed ​​Suits’ that PUMA provides to other players globally.

The speed suit is designed to aid in freedom of movement, aerodynamics, and fast acceleration, helping athletes focus solely on their performance and increasing efficiency.

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.”

Also Read: Long Jumper Murali Sreeshankar rules out of Paris Olympics 2024 after suffering knee injury

Adille Sumariwalla, the AFI President 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."

Top Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar has been ruled out of the Paris Olympics 2024 citing a knee injury which will require him to undergo a surgery. Sreeshankar announced this heartbreaking news through social media on Thursday.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Indian athletes who qualified for the Paris 2024

There is not much time left for the Olympic Games to be held in Paris this year. India's medal hopes in these games have suffered a major setback as their star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who was considered a medal contender in Paris, will not participate in these games. 

"All my life, I've had the courage to look at a setback in the eye, accept situations I can't change, and work hard at dictating the outcomes of those I can. Unfortunately, in what feels like a nightmare, but is a reality, my Paris Olympic Games dream is over," Sreeshankar wrote on Instagram.

"I suffered a knee injury during training on Tuesday, and all the tests and consultations later, it's been decided that I would need surgery, ruling me out of the one single thing I have chased relentlessly all these years," he added.

Murali Sreeshankar had won the silver medal in the Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok last year with a jump of 8.37m. He also crossed the qualifying mark of 8.27 for the Paris Olympics. Sreeshankar had been busy preparing for Paris since then. 

“To wake up healthy every single day, and watch yourself get into the best shape of your life is every athlete’s dream. I was living it, until this incident,” Sreeshankar further added.

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Twenty-five-year-old Sreeshankar had become the third Indian to finish in the top three of the Diamond League with a third-place finish in the Paris stage on June 9 last year. Before him, Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and former discus thrower Vikas Gowda have achieved this feat. Sreeshankar had also won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year but was eliminated in the qualifying round at the 2023 Budapest World Championships.

India athletes won as many as 28 medals to register their best-ever Asian Athletics Championship in Thailand. During this five-day athletic meet, India won 6 gold, 13 silver and 9 bronze medals. Previously, India's best result at the Asian Athletic Championship was in Bhubaneshwar in 2017 where India had won 27 medals. India finished third just behind Japan and China in the Asian Athletics Championship 2023 medal tally.

Asian Athletics Championship 2023 | Recap of India's performance

Jyothi Yarraji, Abdulla Aboobacker, the mixed relay team, and Murali Sreeshankar were definitely the stars for India in the championship. Jyothi Yarraji who already has the National record in 100m hurdles, clocked 13.08 to win the gold along with her silver in the 200m race (23.13)

Abdulla Aboobacker's 16.92 m was good enough to big India the gold in the Men's triple jump category. The Indian mixed 4*400 relay team clocked 3:14.70 to showcase the future of Indian track and field by winning the Gold medal. Ajay Kumar Saroj was impressive as well with his 3:41.51 to win the Gold in Men's 1500-meter race.

Read Also: Asian Athletics Championships 2023: India's results; medal tally | LIVE Updates | India finish with 28 medals

Along with them, it was Parul Chaudhary who was superb with two medals in the Asian Athletics Championship 2023 for India. Parul won one gold in 3000 metres steeplechase and one silver in the Women's 5000m race. Swapna Barman's 5840 points in the Heptathlon with so much injury in recent times, was an impressive feat as well.

But, it was Murali Sreeshankar's 8.37m long jump that caught all the attention. Sreeshankar's final jump not only made sure he will have the silver medal, but it also gave him the ticket to Paris Olympics 2024 as well.

Gold Medalists for India | Asian Athletics Championship 2023

Silver Medalists for India | Asian Athletics Championship 2023

Bronze Medalists for India | Asian Athletics Championship 2023

India announced a 54-member squad for the Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Bangkok from July 12 to 16, including star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, Asian record-holder shot putter, Tajinder Pal Singh Toor, and newcomers Decathlon champion Tejaswin Shankar has got a place.

Also Read: Murali Sreeshankar qualifies for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in the men's long jump event

Moreover, the team, selected by the selection committee of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), comprises 26 women players. The initial squad for the Asian Athletics Championships had already been picked after the Federation Cup in Ranchi in May. The National Inter-State Championship, which concluded in Bhubaneswar on Monday, was used to 'confirm' the players who did not participate in the Federation Cup.

Meanwhile, Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and Commonwealth Games silver medalist 3000m steeplechase player Avinash Sable were not included in the squad as both will continue training abroad for the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair had said during the National Inter-State Championships that the team for the Asian event would be announced after a review meeting of the AFI selection committee.

Also Read: Inter-State Athletics 2023: Tajinderpal Singh Toor breaks Asian record to qualify for the World Championships

Indian Team for the Asian Athletics Championships:

Men:

Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Ajmal (400m/4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Amoj Jacob (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Nihal Joel William, Mijo Chacko Kurian and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m Relay), Krishan Kumar and Mohammed Afsal (800m), Ajay Kumar Saroj and Jinson Johnson (1500m), Gulveer Singh (5000m/10000m), Abhishek Pal (5000m/10000m), Mohammed Nurhasan and Bal Kishan (3000m Steeplechase), Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh Kumar (400m hurdles), Tejaswin Shankar (Decathlon), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (High Jump), Jeswin Aldrin and Murali Sreeshankar (Long Jump), Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobacker (Triple Jump), Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Karanveer Singh (Shot Put), Rohit Yadav and D P Manu (Javelin Throw), Akshdeep Singh and Vikash Singh (20km Race Walk).

Women:

Jyothi Yarraji (200m/100m Hurdles), Nithya Ramraj (100m Hurdles), Aishwarya Mishra (400m/4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Chanda and Lavika Sharma (800m), Lili Das (1500m), Ankita (5000m), Parul Chaudhary (5000m/3000m Steeplechase), Sanjivani Jadhav (10000m), Priti (3000m Steeplechase), Pooja and Rubina Yadav (High Jump), Baranica Elangovan (Pole Vault), Shaili Singh and Ancy Sojan (Long Jump), Abha Khatua and Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw), Swapna Barman (Heptathlon), Priyanka and Bhawna Jat (20km Race Walk), Rezoana Mallick Heena and Jyothika Sri Dandi (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Anjali Devi, Jisna Mathew and Subha Venkatesan (4x400).

India's star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar on Sunday sealed his place at the 2023 World Athletics Championships with a jump of 8.41m at the ongoing 2023 National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 

Also Read: https://sportzpoint.com/athletics/paris-diamond-league-2023-indias-murali-sreeshankar-finishes-third-in-the-mens-long-jump-event/

The 24-year-old Murali, who returned to India after competing in a few competitions in Europe last month, cleared 8.41m in his very first attempt in the qualification round. Sreeshankar achieved his personal best on his first attempt during the heats at the Kalinga Stadium. He, however, missed out on equaling Jeswin Aldrin's national record of 8.42m by just a centimeter. Aldrin made the national record this year.

Meanwhile, Aldrin finished second with a throw of 7.83m, while Muhammed Anees Yahiya finished third with a throw of 7.71m. Twelve players made it to the finals to be held on Monday.

Murali had also crossed the 8.25m mark in an athletics meet in California, USA last month with an 8.29m effort. But since his jump was wind-assisted, it did not help him make the cut for the world championships. Last week, Murali Sreeshankar registered an impressive 8.09m long jump to claim the third spot at the Paris Diamond League 2023. Before that, Murali Sreeshankar won a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze label event in Kallithea, Greece with 8.18m and made the cut for the upcoming Asian Games in China. Murali Sreeshankar can join Neeraj Chopra at the Lausanne Diamond League on June 30.

Also Read: https://sportzpoint.com/athletics/indian-long-jumper-murali-sreeshankar-wins-gold-in-mva-high-performance-athletics-meet/

The Asian Games qualifying standard in men's long jump is 7.95m. The qualifying standard for the men's long jump event at the World Championships is 8.25m. The tournament will start in Budapest, Hungary in August.

The women's long jump saw the 2022 national champion Ancy Sojan top the heats with an effort of 6.49m. Asian championships bronze medallist Nayana James came second with 6.31m followed by promising 19-year-old Shaili Singh, who hit the 6.27m mark.