Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who recently returned from a career-threatening injury, is confident of achieving a 'big jump' soon and aims to upgrade his silver medal to gold at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships concluded with star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and javelin thrower Rohit Yadav delivering top-class performances.
Murali Sreeshankar won the men's long jump at the Indian Athletics Series, marking a successful return after knee surgery. Other winners included Ancy Sojan in the women's long jump, Reagan Ganesh in pole vault, and Tamil Arasu in the 100m sprint.
Having won silver in Birmingham in 2022, 27-year-old Murali Sreeshankar added another medal to his collection at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after producing a best leap of 8.09 metres, capping an emotional comeback from the career-threatening knee injury that had nearly derailed his career.
Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar secured his second consecutive Commonwealth Games silver medal in Glasgow with a leap of 8.09 metres. This achievement marks an emotional comeback for the athlete, who battled a career-threatening knee injury in 2024, forcing him to miss the Paris Olympics. Despite his disappointment at not winning gold, Sreeshankar views this medal as a crucial stepping stone for the upcoming Asian Games.
Murali Sreeshankar has opted to forgo the upcoming Diamond League final in Eugene to concentrate on his preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games
Murali Sreeshankar has become the first Indian double medallist in Commonwealth Games long jump, securing a silver medal with a leap of 8.09 metres. This achievement marks an emotional comeback for the 27-year-old, who recovered from a career-threatening knee injury that forced him to miss his anticipated Olympic debut.
India had a stellar Day 7 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Murali Sreeshankar securing his second consecutive long jump silver medal and Indian boxers assuring the country of 10 medals by reaching the semi-finals in various categories. Para athletes also made history with a one-two finish in the men's 100m T47 event.
Jeswin Aldrin, meanwhile, finished fifth after he hit the 7.69m mark at the 17th Iberoamerican Meeting in Huelva, Spain.
Neeraj is one of top-five track and field athletes in world: Sreeshankar
Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare made a remarkable debut at the Diamond League in Monaco, securing a third-place finish. He cleared 2.26m, joining an exclusive group of four Indian athletes to achieve a top-three position in the prestigious event.
Indian athlete Tejaswin Shankar overcame a recurring knee injury and initial despair to win a historic bronze medal in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games. Just days after withdrawing from his primary high jump event due to injury, Shankar, inspired by fellow athlete Murali Sreeshankar, competed in the gruelling ten-event decathlon, becoming the first Indian to secure a medal in the discipline. His remarkable journey highlights his resilience and determination.
Almost all of India's Asian Games-bound track and field athletes, including star steeplechaser Avinash Sable and javelin thrower Yashvir Singh, will participate in the Indian Athletics Series Final. This invitational event, featuring a total prize fund of Rs 65 lakh, serves as a crucial tune-up for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, with most of the 77-member squad competing.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 768-member Indian contingent, including 503 athletes and 246 officials, for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The athletics team has the largest support staff, while cricket teams also have significant backing. India will compete in 36 disciplines.
The Indian athletics team will undergo an acclimatisation camp at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo before the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. This follows an MoU between SAI and the University. Athletes are also returning from Czech Republic for a training stint and an event in Bhubaneswar, though Neeraj Chopra will not participate. The Athletics Federation of India has already submitted a list of over 72 athletes for the Games to the Indian Olympic Association.
Indian athletes delivered a strong performance at the Commonwealth Games, with weightlifters Gyaneshwari Yadav and Bindyarani Devi securing silver and bronze medals respectively. Several athletes, including long jumpers M Sreeshankar and Lokesh Sathyanathan, boxers Sachin Siwach and Ankush, and swimmers Sajan Prakash, Aryan Nehra, and Swatik Patel, also advanced to their respective finals or quarter-finals, showcasing India's diverse talent across multiple disciplines.
Star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar clinched his third straight title after coming back from a long injury lay-off as he won the event at the Qosanov Memorial Athletics Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Saturday.
Indian athletes are set to compete across various disciplines including athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, swimming, and weightlifting on the seventh day of the Commonwealth Games, with several medal events scheduled.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member contingent of athletes, including 265 men and 227 women, for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan. The squad features prominent athletes like Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu, and Lovlina Borgohain across various disciplines, with athletics having the largest representation.
India finished fourth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with 39 medals, overcoming the absence of traditional medal-winning sports. The contingent's success was driven by a record-breaking boxing campaign, a historic performance in judo, and strong contributions from para athletes, showcasing the country's expanding sporting depth.
Sreeshankar wins long jump title in Portugal
India's Neeraj Chopra will face reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage in a highly anticipated men's javelin clash at the Commonwealth Games, as India aims to surpass its previous medal tally in athletics.
Star Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar has undergone a surgery on his injured knee that ruled him out of the Paris Olympics in July-August.
World Championships: Long jumper Sreeshankar, steeplechaser Parul fail to qualify for finals
India's Asian Games athletics team has been trimmed to 74 members, with prominent athletes like javelin thrower Annu Rani, long jumper Shahnavaz Khan, and sprinter Nithya Gandhe dropped due to performance or medical reasons. The decision followed a confirmatory event, while some injured national record holders were cleared to participate.
Tanya Chaudhary broke the women's hammer throw national record with a distance of 68.35m at the Indian Athletics Series Final. Avinash Sable also made a strong return to the 3000m steeplechase, winning his first race in over a year. The event served as a crucial tune-up for Indian athletes heading to the Asian Games, with several other notable performances including wins by Harita Bhadra, Animesh Kujur, Rohit Yadav, and Tajinderpal Singh Toor.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member Indian contingent, comprising 265 male and 227 female athletes, for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Athletics forms the largest group with 73 participants, including star athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Jyothi Yarraji. Other prominent sports like shooting, weightlifting, badminton, boxing, and wrestling also feature strong teams, with some adjustments made due to doping violations.
India's large contingent of 501 athletes is set to compete at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, aiming to showcase the nation's growing sporting depth and its ambition to become a global top-10 sporting power by 2036. Despite initial accommodation challenges, the focus is on building on the momentum from the record 2022 Hangzhou Games, with strong medal hopes in shooting, athletics, cricket, badminton, and hockey.
Long jumper Shahnavaz Khan and high jumper Basant Kumar Meghwal, both recent World Athletics U20 Championships medalists, are now setting their sights on podium finishes at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, aiming to improve their personal bests.
Basant Kumar Meghwal and Shahnavaz Khan became the first Indians to win a medal each in high jump and long jump at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
Madhya Pradesh's Dev Kumar Meena won gold in pole vault at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition, with both he and Kuldeep Kumar setting a new national record. Several other athletes also achieved Commonwealth Games qualification marks.
Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare achieved a historic third-place finish in his Diamond League debut in Monaco, clearing 2.26m. This remarkable performance places him among an exclusive group of four Indians to have secured a top-three spot in the prestigious athletics event, alongside Neeraj Chopra, Murali Sreeshankar, and Vikas Gowda. He also outperformed several world champions in the process.
Young Indian athlete Lokesh Sathyanathan won the gold medal in the men's long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, setting a new indoor national record.
Athletics Federation of India's selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla has dismissed concerns over Neeraj Chopra's recent silver medal, stating that the "country's greatest athlete" should not be scrutinised for an occasional silver after consistently delivering gold for a decade.
Indian para-athlete Dilip Mahadu Gavit, fresh off winning the Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medal in the men's T47 100m with a Games record, dedicated his triumph to his coach Vaijanath Kale on Guru Purnima, crediting him for spotting his talent and transforming his career.
Sreeshankar jumps huge 8.41m in National Inter-State, qualifies for World Championships
Murali Sreeshankar has been ruled out of Paris Olympics after sustaining a knee injury during training.
India is relying heavily on its boxing, weightlifting, and athletics contingents to maintain its two-decade streak of top-five finishes at the Commonwealth Games, which opens in Glasgow.
Murali Sreeshankar clinched a historic silver in men's long jump to give India its second medal in athletics at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Thursday.
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar on Sunday 'voluntarily' gave dope sample to the NADA officials after producing a big leap of 8.41m to qualify for the upcoming World Championships so that 'nobody points any finger of suspicion'.