Express News Service
Pressure can play havoc on the mind. Sports, after all, is an amalgamation of physical ability and mental spunk. No matter how good the training has been or how good the performance, it’s the state of mind that could give athletes an edge and propel them beyond superhuman feats.
On Thursday, M Sreeshankar went through myriad emotions before securing a historic silver medal in the men’s long jump final at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. He was staring at uncertainty until the fourth attempt. Lying sixth, something he would have abhorred, he did not know whether he would finish among medallists. He had been performing well on the domestic circuit; he is the national record holder (8.36m). And he had been showing promise. Yet he had modest shows on bigger stages. After a forgetful Olympics last year, he was under pressure in Birmingham. His last outing, the World Championships, was also modest.
One leap of faith is what he and his coach and father had been hoping for. And it was not until the fifth attempt that he managed to make a big leap. He had a foul just before it, and his best was 7.84m. He cleared 8.08m and was tied with Bahama’s LaQuan Nairn but on countback, Sreeshankar was pushed to second.
This silver is a big shot in the arm for Sreeshankar, who had missed the 2018 edition due to appendicitis.
Even after the Tokyo disappointment, Sreeshankar had faced an off-field conundrum. His father and coach S Murali, who is a stickler for detail when it comes to training, had chalked out a meticulous programme for him. Following that programme diligently has paid off. It is fitting that he thanked his father for all the support. “My father has been the backbone and my family has backed me all throughout,” he said after the medal ceremony.
Sreeshankar’s world of training had been torn between strife and ideal. More so after a modest showing at the Tokyo Olympics. The 23-year-old athlete and his coach wanted to continue training in Palakkad, their home, while the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) insisted that he be part of the national camp in Bengaluru or Patiala. The father and son duo have even assembled a ‘good well-equipped’ gym in their house and they love to train on the ground nearby. Diet is taken care of at home.
During the height of the Covid 19 pandemic, they were cocooned inside their house but that had not stopped them from training. Whatever space they had on their premises, they utilised it. After restrictions were eased, they continued training in Palakkad. There have been times when AFI warned them. After Tokyo, things were worse. Not attending the national camp had a bearing on their expenditure too.
But Sreeshankar has been part of the Target Olympics Podium Scheme and the stipend (Rs 50000) he gets came in handy. His father made sure everything was adequate for him. Finally, after the Federation Cup senior nationals in April, the AFI and Sresshankar’s team had come to an understanding. They moved to Bengaluru and started training along with newly-hired foreign coach Denis Kapustin. They work together as a team. He thanked the AFI and Sports Authority of India for backing him during tricky times.
“It had been a difficult time after the Olympics but my father, family, friends, AFI and SAI supported me. That really helped.” He also said that he was struggling with the rhythm but felt he could clear the distance. Tokyo 2020 was bad. Even physically, he was shattered. He had contracted Covid and lost a lot of muscle mass. During an interaction in Chennai, he said his weight had reduced from 66-67kg to 61-62kg. Not ideal for jumping. He lost power and he couldn’t jump. “It was terrible,” he had said.
Then they looked up to the World Championships in Eugene to salvage some pride. That too didn’t go according to plan. They were aiming for emancipation at the Commonwealth Games. “He is in good shape both physically and mentally,” he had said.
They stayed back in the US after the World Championships for training and they travelled to Birmingham on July 26. The AFI too helped them with their training and exposure. The medal should add to his confidence and could enable him to overcome stiffer challenges in the future.
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