Due to a knee ailment, Murali Sreeshankar was forced to miss the Olympics in Paris in order to get surgery

Murali Sreeshankar, the star long jumper from India, will not be competing in the Olympics in Paris because of a knee injury he suffered while training. The operation will also prevent him from competing in 2024.

Sreeshankar, a silver winner in both the Asian and Commonwealth Games, qualified for the Olympics in Paris with an 8.37-meter leap while winning a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2023.

The 25-year-old was supposed to start the season with back-to-back Diamond League meetings on April 27 and May 10 in Shanghai/Suzhou and Doha, respectively. However, he suffered an injury on Tuesday while training, which put an end to his Olympic dreams.

Sreeshankar said on social media, “Unfortunately, my dream of competing in the Paris Olympics is over. It feels like a nightmare, but it’s a reality.”

“On Tuesday, I sustained a knee injury while training. After several tests and consultations, it was determined that surgery would be necessary, which would mean that I would be unable to pursue the one goal I had been pursuing nonstop for the last few years.

“I’ve always had the guts to face adversity head-on, accept the things I can’t control, and put a lot of effort into controlling the course of those I can,” he said.

At a Diamond League meeting in June of last year, Sreeshankar became only the third Indian to finish in the top three. With his third-place result.

Though he was sad to lose in the qualifying stage of the World Championships in Budapest, he bounced back to win the silver medal in the Asian Games in Huangzhou.

Sometimes it takes fortitude to accept the bizarre screenplay that life has written and go on. I will take that action.

“The moment I hurt my knee, I started my road to recovery. It will be a long, tough path that will drain me completely.

“The good news is that I have a lot to offer. Mamba Mentality is all about overcoming obstacles, and that’s what Sreeshankar, a huge fan of basketball great Kobe Bryant, stated.

The Los Angeles Lakers star’s optimistic outlook on life and competitive spirit is known as “Mamba Mentality.”

“I’ll need your good vibes, love, and prayers. Even if I jump alone, every leap requires a group effort. “This is my largest one to date,” he said.