'Focus only on working hard': Sreeshankar hopes to carry CWG form after medal-laden outing

Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar delighted all the fans back home after he won the silver medal at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2022. The 23-year-old from Palakkad, who won India's first medal in the men's long jump event, recorded a whopping distance of 8.08m. After returning home with a medal, Sreeshankar spoke exclusively to Republic TV, where he explained how delighted he was with his success and how he hopes to carry this momentum forward.

CWG 2022: Murali Sreeshankar delighted to win silver

On being asked how he felt after winning a medal, Murali Sreeshankar replied, "It really feels great because this time the athletics team really fared well at CWG 2022. We had like 8 medals and four of them came from the jumps events. Especially the long jumps and the triple jumps were quite incredible this season. That is one reason why we could grab so many medals at the Commonwealth Games. So really happy to be a part of this wonderful team and we hope to continue this run."

The 23-year-old then went on to explain how he hopes to continue the legacy of the current athletics team moving forward, and what role Prime Minister Narendra Modi played in helping the Indian contingent's success at CWG 2022. "Now the standards of Indian athletics are continuously rising. We are raising the standards of the events also," added Sreeshankar.

The long jumper then went on to thank PM Modi by stating, "And big thanks to our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji. He wished us the best before the event and he promised to meet us after the event. And he fulfilled his promise. It is really motivating and inspiring for young athletes like myself that the Prime Minister is greeting and wishing us before and after the event. And we hope to continue these standards of Indian athletics and raise the bar," added the 23-year-old.

When asked about what kind of celebration is expected when he wins the gold at the Paris Olympics, Sreeshankar replied, "It is really hard to say because the road to winning any Olympic medal is really difficult. My focus is only on working hard and giving my best performance on the big stage."