‘Doctors Told Me I’d Never Jump Again’: Murali Sreeshankar Opens Up on Remarkable Comeback After Winning CWG 2026 Silver

Glasgow, August 3: When Murali Sreeshankar stood on the Commonwealth Games podium with a silver medal around his neck, it wasn't just the reward for an 8.09m jump.

It was the culmination of nearly two years of pain, uncertainty and relentless rehabilitation after a devastating knee injury that left doctors doubting whether he would ever compete again.

The TOPS Core athlete has now answered those doubts in the best possible way. Speaking during a virtual press interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) from Glasgow, Sreeshankar reflected on his remarkable comeback, the emotional battle behind it and why this silver medal means more to him than his first Commonwealth Games podium finish. Here are the excerpts:

Q: Murali, congratulations on winning silver. What was going through your mind after clinching your first major international medal since surgery?

Murali Sreeshankar: It felt really good because this is my first major international podium after the surgery. The standard of competition at the Commonwealth Games is quite high and the weather conditions here were very tricky.

To be honest, I wasn't completely satisfied with my jump because it's still quite far from my personal best. But considering the conditions everyone had to compete in, 8.09 metres was a decent effort. The gold medal was won with 8.15m, so I knew I had more left in the tank.

There were some technical flaws, but after everything people said about my career being over, I'm very happy with this silver medal. I'll cherish this moment, but from tomorrow it's back to work for the next competitions.

Q: This was your first major international medal after a career threatening injury. Looking back, what exactly happened and how difficult was the journey back?

Murali: What I suffered was probably one of the worst injuries a long jumper can ever have.

I had a complete patellar tendon rupture and part of my bone had chipped off. Surgery wasn't just necessary for sport. It was required for me to walk normally again.

My leg had completely lost stability. Every doctor I consulted in India more or less told me the same thing, that I would probably never jump again.

That's when I went to Aspetar Hospital in Qatar, with the treatment funded under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The doctors told me they could fix the injury, but the recovery would depend entirely on how seriously I approached rehabilitation.

The physical recovery was one thing, but mentally it was much tougher.

When you're at the top of your game and suddenly suffer such a serious injury, it's very difficult to accept. I never looked at one big goal. Instead, I set small targets every day. With my physiotherapist Dr Priyam and strength and conditioning coach Dr Wayne Lombard, I kept improving little by little.

I also believe that you have to lift yourself before expecting anyone else to do it for you. My family, friends and fellow athletes supported me throughout that period and that kept me going.

Q: Did you ever fear your knee while returning to competition?

Murali: If I still had that fear, I wouldn't have been competing here.

The rehabilitation was extremely progressive. We gradually increased the load on my knee until it adapted.

There are still complications. One knee is actually bigger than the other because of the surgery. I still have discomfort sometimes, but I'm managing it through rehabilitation.

The doctors even told me my knee is stronger now because there are three screws holding the repaired tendon.

Q: Your father was in the stands once again. How special was it having him there?

Murali: He's always been with me since childhood, so his presence isn't something new. During competitions he's more like a father than a coach because he gets extremely emotional.

But this journey hasn't just been about my father. I also work closely with Dr Wayne Lombard, my strength and conditioning coach. Since my injury, his programmes have played a massive role in my comeback.

For him also, this medal is a personal victory because after 2024 nobody knew whether my knee would allow me to compete again.

Q: You looked disappointed after settling for silver. Did you feel the gold slipped away?

Murali: Yes.

I knew I had a much bigger jump in me.

One of my fourth round jumps was actually very long but it was ruled a foul. I knew I could have produced that winning jump, but I couldn't execute it when it mattered.

That's disappointing.

But that's sport. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Lately I've been collecting too many silver medals, so I need to change that.

Q: What was going through your mind during the final few attempts after the Jamaican athlete took the lead?

Murali: When you're trailing by just a few centimetres, the biggest priority is avoiding a foul.

I was trying to maintain my rhythm and hit the board properly because I knew that if I got the take off right, I could produce a big jump.

But I was slightly off rhythm because of the competition pressure, adrenaline and difficult weather conditions.

The conditions weren't ideal, but they were the same for everyone.

Q: You jumped 8.38m at the Inter State Championships before coming here. Why couldn't you reproduce that in Glasgow?

Murali: Major championships are different.

When it comes to competitions like the Commonwealth Games, it's not about jumping the biggest distance. It's about winning medals.

Records can always be broken by someone else, but nobody can take away a medal once you've won it.

The confidence from that 8.38m jump definitely helped me. But I also know I've been inconsistent on the take off this season. That's one aspect I want to improve before the Asian Games.

Q: How much did the month long acclimatisation camp in Spala help?

Murali: It helped a lot.

The weather in Poland was quite similar to Glasgow, so we already knew what to expect when we arrived here.

Many athletes struggled with the cold conditions, but that camp helped me acclimatise and prepare accordingly. It definitely played a role in this medal.

Q: Tejaswin Shankar is also making a comeback from injury. What did you make of his performance?

Murali: Tejaswin has the heart of a champion.

I know exactly what he was going through because we had similar tendon issues.

To see him produce a personal best of 7.82m in the long jump despite severe pain was unbelievable.

He has an incredible support team around him. Dr Wayne Lombard, Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Dr Christopher Peter, Dr Mayur Thakkar and Dr Eshan have all worked tirelessly with him.

He is made differently. Hopefully he finishes with a medal because he deserves it.

Q: You now train at the SAI National Centre of Excellence in Thiruvananthapuram. How has that helped your comeback?

Murali: I shifted to SAI NCOE Thiruvananthapuram after my surgery.

It's become a home away from home for me.

The facilities may not be as extensive as some of the other SAI centres, but the training environment is excellent. Several athletes from our centre are representing India here in Glasgow, which shows the quality of work happening there.

Hopefully it continues to grow because it has tremendous potential.

Q: Asian Games are only a few weeks away. How do you approach the next challenge?

Murali: Right now the focus is very simple.

Maintain my physical condition, eat well, recover properly and continue training.

I don't want to do anything extra. I just want to trust the process because if I do that, the results will come.

The good thing is that the Asian Games conditions will be closer to what we're used to competing in, so hopefully I can perform even better there.

Q: Finally, why does this silver medal feel more special than the one you won in Birmingham four years ago?

Murali: Because people genuinely believed my career was over.

Whenever I say doctors told me that, I really mean it.

Any sports doctor who looks at that kind of injury would probably say the chances of returning to elite long jump are extremely slim.

This injury completely changes your mechanics. You become scared of even planting your foot.

Coming back from that, putting in the work every single day and standing on the podium again. This medal proves a lot of people wrong.

And that's why I'll always cherish it.