Long Jumper M Sreeshankar asked to skip Asian C’ship by AFI

Long jump prodigy M Sreeshankar has been asked by Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to skip the Asian Athletics Championship next month in Doha despite the athletes claim he has recovered from a minor heel injury.

“He (Sreeshankar) did put a request for participation in Asian Championship but we asked him not to,” said AFI deputy chief coach P Radhakrishnan Nair.

“He is a bright medal prospect and a heel injury, if not taken care of in time, will aggravate and put his career in danger.”

The 19-year-old national record holder earlier skipped the Federation Cup due to a left-heel injury which aggravated at the Indian Grand Prix in Sangrur this month – where he managed his best jump of the season with 7.74 metres.

Sreeshankar back then told Mail Today that he has requested the federation to allow him for a trial on April 2 to qualify for the Asian Championship.

On Wednesday, the long jumper said he has completely recovered from the injury and has already started light training in his hometown, Palakkad in Kerala.

“I couldn’t convince AFI to allow me for a trial in April, they asked me to better sit out and recover totally. But honestly, I am fit at the moment and I have already started light training,” Sreeshankar told Mail Today. “They have also informed me they are sending me a recovery kit for the injury but I am not sure if it’s necessary.”

The teenager now is looking forward to enhancing his performance by training abroad and will be working with his father-cum-coach S Murali as he wishes to participate in Asian Grand Prix in June before the World Championship, whose qualification he earned last year in Open Nationals.

“I need some competitive training before World Championship, that’s why I intend to take part in Asian Grand Prix, if AFI allows, and will be training abroad around that period,” he said.