കSreesanth, a native of Palakkad, has been suffering from two ailments since last July. One away in the jumping pit at the National Stadium in Tokyo. The other is in the backyard of the Palakkad Medical College ground.
Twenty – three – year – old Sreesanth was one of India’s great hopes in Tokyo. The country dreamed of a solid medal in Sreesanth, who set a national record by jumping 8.26 meters in the Patiala Federation Cup.
But at the Olympic venue, Shree was incredibly beaten. In the first jump of the qualifying round, Sri jumped 7.69 meters and fell behind on the next two occasions. He was 7.51 meters in the second attempt and 7.43 meters in the third attempt. Twenty-four out of twenty-nine in the qualifying round returned crying.
We only know the value of Sreesanth’s blunt performance when we know that the distance covered by Cuban Michael Masso in the final was 8.21 meters. Had his performance in the Federation Cup been repeated, another history would have been born with Neeraj on the athletic field in Tokyo.
Sreesanth had to work hard to recover from his lack of form in Tokyo. After Tokyo, he was in great distress. It was a total disappointment. Bijimol remembers that he and his mother were desperate to get back somehow.
But, that is where the second pain sought Sri. During training on the medical college grounds, his right hand hit a nearby hurdle. When he had to tie his hands, the training stopped altogether. Then there was the worry of missing out on an eventful season that included the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the World Championships. It’s been a frustrating time for me again. Thus valuable months of rest and treatment were snatched away. He finally returned to the field just two months before the Federation Cup.
A water bottle could not be held properly. You know when you touch it. Yet Mr. was not ready to give up. The weight training was done with the hands tied high. It was a little difficult to find rhythm in the run-up. Prayers and efforts were not in vain. In the third jump itself, Shri. He was satisfied with the silver after a tough challenge from his friend Jeswin Aldrin. His father Murali, an old triple jump silver medalist at the SAF Games, and his mother Bijimol, a silver medalist at Asian Junior Athletics, and his sister Sriparvati were behind the fence when the record was broken. The three ran over and greeted Mr. and Aldrin from outside the fence.
Sreesanth says he was a little worried when he competed in the Federation Cup. There is little regret of losing the first place by a slight margin. But this is all part of the competition. It was almost certain that the record would be broken here. Still happy to be able to put out a good performance. The season has just begun. Hope to get better. Now he has to compete in a few foreign tournaments before the Commonwealth Games, Sreesanth said with utter confidence.