India’s javelin participant and Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has mentioned that lengthy jumpers M Sreeshankar and Tejaswin Shankar are actual icons as each have excelled not solely of their respective sports activities but additionally in training.
Neeraj, who turned the primary Indian to win the Dimond Trophy, was speaking to Sreeshankar final month in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the place the nationwide video games are being performed. In a light-hearted video interview shared by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Neeraj and Sreeshankar exchanged views on how proud they have been about their recreation, targets and podium finishes.
When requested how he manages his research together with sports activities, Sreeshankar mentioned, “When I used to be a child, my father used to inform me to focus solely on research. So I used to coach much less and research extra. Whatever sport you play, research are at all times with you. There is at all times the potential for harm in sports activities. So if the targets of sports activities are usually not met, research in life will at all times assist. I did my commencement however labored onerous for Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Praising each, Neeraj mentioned, “It is actually commendable to see each of you doing properly in each sports activities and research. Although I excelled in sports activities, I couldn’t focus a lot on my research. That’s why each of you might be actual icons, the youth of this nation ought to look in direction of you each.
The 23-year-old Sreeshankar had received a silver medal in males’s lengthy soar on the Commonwealth Games in August this 12 months. He jumped 8.08m in his fifth try to complete second behind Lakhan Nair of the Bahamas within the males’s lengthy soar ultimate.
Recalling his soar, Sreeshankar mentioned, “Once I reached the finals, I wished to go for the gold. However, within the first three rounds, I used to be having hassle with my rhythm and the jumps reached my degree of satisfaction. So I made a decision to maintain a relaxed thoughts and take it one step at a time.
Despite Sreeshankar’s success within the athletics circuit, his deal with research by no means waned. But he needed to make some huge sacrifices on the training entrance so as to not sideline the sport.
After graduating from college, Sreeshankar utilized for medical and engineering entrance exams. He broke each the entrances. In NEET examination, he stood second in his state in sports activities quota and handed engineering on the idea of pure advantage. His NEET rating would have secured him a medical seat in any of the premier faculties in Kerala. But Sreeshankar had different plans and opted for a BSc in Mathematics as an alternative.
Tejaswin Shankar has additionally received India’s first medal in excessive soar at CWG 2022. The nationwide report holder received the bronze medal with a soar of two.22 metres. Tejaswin, 23, was awarded a four-year scholarship to Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA, and accomplished his commencement in enterprise administration from the college.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
