Murali Sreeshankar Wins Silver as Mother’s Tears Turn to Joy, Neighbours Blame Asian Games Organisers for Rainy Conditions

Murali Sreeshankar’s silver medal at the Asian Games brought an emotional celebration to his home in Kerala’s Palakkad, but the achievement came after a tense injury scare that left his mother K S Bijimol fearing the worst.

Sreeshankar, one of India’s leading long jumpers, was unable to complete all his attempts after suffering an injury during his fourth jump. Yet the effort he had already produced was enough to keep him in the silver-medal position as the competition reached its conclusion.

At his family home in the Yakkara area of Palakkad, Bijimol, relatives, neighbours and Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan had gathered to watch the competition. The excitement quickly turned into anxiety when Sreeshankar appeared to hurt the same leg that had previously undergone surgery.

Sreeshankar’s injury left Family anxious

Bijimol immediately got in touch with her husband S Murali, who is also Sreeshankar’s coach, to understand the extent of the problem.

“They said his leg got strained. It is the same leg which underwent surgery,” she told to PTI.

For a family that had watched Sreeshankar fight his way back from a serious injury, the sight was particularly difficult.

The long jumper had endured a major setback last year, making his return to international competition a significant part of his recent career. His silver in Japan therefore carried significance beyond the colour of the medal.

Mother’s fear turns into celebration

Bijimol, herself a former athlete, admitted that her biggest concern was not whether her son would win gold, but whether he would at least leave the competition with a medal after getting injured.

“When he got that injury, I was praying that he would get at least some medal… even if it was just one medal, he could return happily. I couldn’t bear to see him return sadly with an injury. Like I said, I only wished that he would return happy. Now, after getting this injury, how did he manage to get silver? He is returning home happy,” she said.

The tension at the Yakkara house soon disappeared when Sreeshankar remained in second place despite having fewer opportunities to add to his score.

“We are happy. We were so upset when his leg got injured. Sreeshankar couldn’t complete all attempts, but he gave us the silver medal. Even though he could only do three or four jumps, didn’t we get the silver? We are happy,” she said.

The celebrations began almost immediately, with Sreekandan ordering laddoos for everyone gathered at the house.

‘Achievement is as sweet as gold’, says MP

Sreekandan said Sreeshankar’s performance deserved special appreciation considering the circumstances.

“He worked so hard to return after the injury. We were sure that he would win the gold. Despite being injured on the fourth attempt, he could win the medal. This achievement is as sweet as the gold medal,” Sreekandan said.

Neighbours question rainy conditions

While the family celebrated Sreeshankar’s silver, some neighbours raised questions over the conditions in which the long jump competition was conducted.

They pointed to the rain in Japan and claimed that the wet conditions had created difficulties for athletes, with some competitors reportedly slipping.

“They are hosting the event while rain is pouring. Several athletes slipped and got injured. If Sreeshankar had completed all the attempts, we were confident that he could have clinched gold,” one of the neighbours said.

For the people gathered at Sreeshankar’s home, the night ultimately became one of relief rather than disappointment. His injury had initially brought tears to his mother’s eyes, but the silver medal ensured that those tears ended in celebration.