Murali Sreeshankar is a rare athlete. Real clarity of thought, no fear of failure and steely determination make him one of India’s better prospects in athletics going forward. With a season’s best leap of 8.41m in the Long Jump, which was followed up by an 8.37m effort in the recently concluded Asian Athletics Championships, Sreeshankar has already qualified for Paris 2024. And that’s what has helped him to start planning for perhaps the biggest 14 months of his career. In this detailed conversation with Boria Majumdar on key issues like doping, mental health and medal hopes in Paris, Sreeshankar gives an insight into his training, preparation and a lot more.
Boria: Each time I see the video of the 8.37m jump, I am like it looked like a 8.50m jump. Your reaction says to me that you felt the same. What was your reaction soon after you completed the jump?
Sreeshankar: Thank you for saying this, for I also felt it was nearer to an 8.50 jump. When I landed and, before that, my positioning on the take-off board was near-perfect, and I felt it was a really good jump. If not 8.50, at least 8.45m for sure is what I thought. And then, when I saw 8.37, I was like “Oh, no”. But then, let me look at it this way – it has helped me qualify for Paris, and yet I am eager and hungry for I know what I am capable of and what I can do. So, it has left me with a kind of unfulfilled desire, and I am sure it will help me do better going forward.
Boria: The qualification for Paris must be a big relief. Now that it is out of the way, you can plan your 2024 season without having to worry about qualification. It will allow you to start a little late and ease into competition. How do you look at things?
Sreeshankar: Absolutely. You don’t want the qualification issue bothering you and creating pressure. The best thing for me is it is out of the way. And you are right in saying I will start 2024 a little late, for I know whatever happens I need to be at my absolute best on 11 August, 2024. My finals are on that day, and I can tell you I will leave no stone unturned in winning a medal for India. That’s the goal. It is no longer about participation. For us now, it is about winning medals on the greatest stages of all. We have the exposure, we have the talent and now it is about being the best-prepared and executing it the best on the day. So, we will plan 2024 to perfection and give it everything I have.
Boria: Now that you are a Diamond League regular and that you are participating in major competitions around the world, it must have helped a great deal in getting used to the pressure of elite sport and also to the conditions?
Sreeshankar: Yes, very true. I am now aware of what it takes to compete at the elite level, what to expect, how to get ready, how best to prepare and then execute. Let me give you two examples. The Lausanne Diamond League did not go well for me. I wasn’t able to jump my best, and it was important I came back well. In Thailand, it was warm and humid and my father and I had planned things to perfection. We were prepared for every kind of condition that we could encounter. The warm conditions favoured me, and I could jump well. But even if it was raining like in Lausanne, I was prepared. That’s what it is about. To be the best prepared and to be ready for whatever is on offer. You can’t control the weather, but what you can do is prepare for the weather. That’s what my father has taught me these last few months.
Boria: Interesting that you mention your father. He has helped you hugely on your journey. Tell me a little more about this bond.
Sreeshankar: My father is not simply my coach, he is also my biggest support system. And with him, I know I am in good hands for he will do everything possible to ensure I am in best shape for the competition. He is a very street-smart man, and often comes up with some small but essential out-of-the-box thoughts. In Lausanne, he was the one who said to me that we needed to come back better and stronger, and he would ensure I jumped near my best in Thailand. He watches a lot of sport and was also watching the Stockholm Diamond League where it was raining heavy during the long jump. He was watching the athletes closely and I remember him telling me what they were doing, and what adaptations they were using. We had seen and planned really well and, as I told you, had it rained in Bangkok, I was ready. My father was feeling the pressure in Bangkok, and I could see him pacing up and down the hallway and speaking to my mother about my preparation and giving her updates about my training. While he never mentioned to me about feeling pressure, I could sense he needed me to do well to move on from the Lausanne failure. He will now get a few days at home before we start traveling again, and is much looking forward to it.
Boria: I remember hearing you speak about Neeraj, and your conversation with him after the Lausanne Diamond League. Please can you elaborate on it?
Sreeshankar: Neeraj Bhaiya is one of the best human beings you can come across. We met in the cafeteria after the Lausanne event, and I remember telling him I was very disappointed with my effort. I said to him I couldn’t jump well and was feeling very bad about it. Neeraj Bhaiya said to me that results could go up and down in sport and it happens with everyone. He said he was sure I would come back stronger and better, and emphasised to me that what matters is how I train. As long as I trusted the process and trained the best, results will always come. A couple of reverses did not mean much in the life of an athlete, and coming from someone who has won everything that there is to win, these were great words for me. I must also say that it was Neeraj Bhaiya’s Tokyo gold that changed everything for us in Indian athletics.
Boria: Ah, that was my follow-up question. Neeraj has now given us the belief that we can win on the highest stage in athletics. It has been the moment when things changed for us in athletics. How do you see his efforts and what impact did they have on you?
Sreeshankar: Like I said to you, it was not just a gold medal. For us in India, it was much more. It said to each one of us that with proper preparation and training, we could certainly do well and win on the international stage. Neeraj Bhaiya actually changed the narrative. Now there are a number of us who believe we can win medals and follow in his footsteps. It is no longer alien to us. A medal is possible and that’s the biggest plus his medal did for us. I can tell you that I will do everything humanly possible to see the tricolour go up with Paris. Not simply me – you will see a number of Indian athletes do well at the Olympics.
Boria: You posted a picture with TJ which said “No to doping”. In our country it continues to be a huge menace. Even last week, a number of our athletes were caught doping and banned. How do you see what is going on?
Sreeshankar: Doping is one of the biggest challenges of our times. And let me say one thing clearly to you. It is not about the coach, or what the coach gives you. Every athlete is responsible for what goes into his or her body. It is our job to stay away from doing it, and I am worried about what I see in India at the junior level. Now that I am competing at the global stage, I can tell you no global star ever discusses about supplements to take or things like that. It is always positive talk. Here at the junior level, it is the opposite. Even young people aspiring to play the sport are talking about performance-enhancing substances. And look, there could well be someone who isn’t doping and when he sees others get away and he or she is being left behind, the tendency is to start doping to make up the gap. I am very very pleased that the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) led by Adille sir is conducting maximum testing and doing so consistently. The only solution it to test more and keep testing. The more you test, the better it is, and you can weed out every dope cheat. AFI is trying to do so and that’s the only way forward to curb the menace. Anyone found doping should be meted out a harsh punishment, for this is the biggest crime in sport.
Boria: Let me ask you two final questions. The first is how do you deal with adversity. In sport, you will lose far more than you win, and there will be negative moments in your career. How do you address such mental-health challenges?
Sreeshankar: Yes, I agree with you on this, and must confess I used to feel extremely deflated or negative if I wasn’t able to perform to my own expectations. I would get bogged down and it would impact me as a person. But that’s where you need support. My father was my support. You need to be confident that a bad result isn’t the end of the world. It can’t impact you beyond a point. Yes, it is human to feel bad. But then it doesn’t mean you won’t get up at 5am the next day and train. You need to do everything that you would have normally done to move away from the reversal. That’s how you overcome negativity and get back to trusting the process. I am a huge Kobe Bryant fan, and I always tell myself what he has said about dealing with failure. As athletes, you will be challenged. You will be asked questions. But then it can’t just push you back. You need to get up and start again for that’s what makes you a good athlete.
Boria: As an elite athlete, do you now have all the facilities that one needs to excel? With TOPS and corporate support, we now have enough for our best athletes?
Sreeshankar: For elite athletes, we have enough and more facilities, but things can get better for younger men and women and for the grassroots athletes. That’s where we need to focus our resources. And again, the AFI has done well by organising many competitions for younger athletes and getting them ready for the next stage. When I travel internationally, I often see very young children – say four to five years old – come and train in academies. You should see the skill levels. When they grow slightly older, they will be fully ready to excel in their chosen sport. That’s what we need to do in India. We need to get our young athletes exposed to the best facilities so that when they grow up, they know what to expect and are already accustomed to what is on offer. That’s when you have all-round growth, and it is here that we can do much more in India.
Boria: Final question, and I need to go back to Paris again. Hand on heart, have you started to visualise yourself at the Olympics? Jumping your best and standing on the podium? What a moment that will be for Indian athletics.
Sreeshankar: Paris is the dream. I have to tell you it is the ultimate ambition for me, and I will work the hardest in pursuit. My aim is to see the tricolour go up and be responsible for it. I know my country doesn’t have too many medals. In fact, we just have the one gold in athletics. There is a lot of hope on me, and a lot of people are doing all they can to ensure I am ready. It is important i stand up for every one of them. And in terms of effort, I can guarantee I will. My process and preparation will be the best. The result should surely follow in Paris.