True Lessons From Tokyo: Shirse and Sreeshankar's Setbacks in World Championships 2025 to Pave the Way for Future Glory

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New Delhi, Sep 16: For Murali Sreeshankar, the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo was more than just another competition it was proof that he still belongs among the world's best. After being sidelined for over a year with a serious knee injury that even ruled him out of the Paris Olympics, Sreeshankar made a late but determined comeback in July.

His consistent performances and five wins in five events this season helped him qualify for his fourth World Championships by securing the final spot through the world rankings.

In Tokyo, the task was clear - he had to touch 8.15m or finish among the top 12 to make the finals but things didn't go his way. With jumps of 7.78m, 7.59m, and 7.70m, the Asian Games silver medallist finished 25th out of 36 competitors, missing the cut for the finals.

Still, his story is one of courage for he is the same athlete who leapt 8.41m at his personal best, almost touching Jeswin Aldrin's national record of 8.42m. This season too, he had posted a strong 8.13m jump at the Indian Open in Bhubaneswar, raising hopes of something positive. Though things didn't go his way in the Japanese capital, this setback is just one more hurdle on the way back to his best form.

Tejas Shirse - The Hurdler Who Refuses to Quit

Tejas Shirse's journey to Tokyo was an emotional one. The national record holder (13.41s) finally made his senior international debut at the World Championships. In the men's 110m hurdles, he clocked 13.57s to finish sixth in his heat and 29th overall, missing out on the semifinals. On Tuesday (September 16), USA's Cordell Tinch won the Gold medal in the men's 110m hurdles final with a timing of 12.99s.

Tejas might be returning without achieving anything substantial but his performance is bigger than it looks. Tejas has missed multiple major events, the 2023 Asian Championships, Asian Games, 2023 Worlds, Paris Olympics, often by fractions of a second or due to injuries. Just last year, he missed qualifying at the Inter-State meet, a memory that still hurts. Even this year, he was just 0.06 seconds short of the 2025 Asian Championships qualification.

Despite it all, Tejas stood on the world stage this time. For an athlete who has faced so many near misses, just getting here was a victory. His performance in Tokyo may not have been enough for a semifinal berth, but it was proof that he is still fighting and still dreaming.

While the World Championships in Tokyo didn't end with the podium finish they had envisioned, the journeys of Murali Sreeshankar and Tejas Shirse are far from over. Their early exit is not a story of failure, but a testament to the sheer resilience and unwavering spirit required to compete at the highest level.

The setbacks and challenges they overcame just to get to this stage are the real victories. The lessons learned on the biggest stage, from managing pressure to fine-tuning their strategy, will undoubtedly serve as a foundation for future success. As they return to training, they do so not with disappointment, but with the invaluable experience needed to turn their Tokyo heartbreak into future glory.