Big Relief For India: Murali Sreeshankar's Asian Games Injury Not Serious

The ankle injury that star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar picked up while competing in the Asian Games here is not as serious as it was initially thought to be, and he is expected to be ready for next season after some rest and rehabilitation, his father and coach S Murali said on Tuesday. Sreeshankar won a silver medal on Monday with his second-round jump of 8.07m, but misfortune struck when he hurt his ankle in his fourth attempt and opted out of his last two attempts. He had also won a silver medal in the previous edition.

Shi Yuhao of China won the gold with a jump of 8.17m, while Uzbekistan's Anvar Anvarov claimed the bronze with an effort of 8.06m.

"It (Sreeshankar's injury) is not a serious one. It will be OK with proper rehabilitation and rest. Moreover, the season is over and there is no competition left," Murali told PTI.

"The only thing is that he (Sreeshankar) will not be able to have some relaxation and enjoyment after a tough season. We have travelled a lot this year for his training and competition. It's hectic and sometimes tiring," he added.

The senior Sreeshankar said that they are still figuring out where to undergo the rehabilitation. One option, he said, could be Doha, where Sreeshankar underwent successful knee surgery in 2024.

"Also, we have relatives in Doha. But we will sort out where to do his rehabilitation," he said.

In a Twitter post uploaded by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) just after he won silver on Monday, Sreeshankar was heard saying that his ankle injury was "really bad".

"Very unfortunate, I think I have sprained my ankle very badly. It is very bad, really bad. I can't stand right now," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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