India’s Long Jump Battle: The Challenges Faced by Aldrin and Shaili

Murali Sreeshankar’s Sunday win at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar with a long jump of 8.13m shows his steady recovery after a year sidelined by an injury. However, the overall status of Indian long jump seems to have diminished.

Sreeshankar’s final leap that brought his victory, although 14 cm short of an automatic qualification for the forthcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, is a highlight from India’s hosting the event.

While the men’s javelin throw at Kalinga Stadium on a hot evening produced promising performances from Indian participants, reflecting the influence of Neeraj Chopra, the same could not be said for long jump.

Sreeshankar laboured to win the event from 21-year-old Shahnavaz Khan. Young national record holder Jeswin Aldrin, aged 23, walked off without jumping due to an apparent left ankle injury. Despite setting a national record of 8.42m in 2023, Aldrin has been struggling with recurring injuries, with his best performance this season recorded at 7.83m.

Similarly, the women’s long jump presented a less optimistic picture. Shaili Singh managed just a modest 6.28m, citing an ankle problem in her take-off leg. The former junior world silver medallist has a best of 6.76m but has been struggling of late.

Shaili’s lack of progression is surprising, having been seen as the likely candidate to surpass Anju Bobby George’s national record of 6.83m set in 2004. However, her chances of qualifying for Tokyo seem slim.

Shahnavaz and 24-year-old Sunny Kumar hold some promise for the future. Despite Kumar’s disappointing 10th place finish on Sunday, he had achieved a personal best of 7.90m at the Indian Open in Bengaluru in June. Both Shahnavaz and Kumar are expected to participate in Chennai’s Inter State meet.