AFI sacks lengthy jumper Sreeshankar’s coach after Tokyo debacle

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Monday mentioned it has sacked lengthy jumper M Sreeshankar’s coach, his father S Murali, owing to the teen’s disappointing Tokyo Olympics efficiency.
At the top of its two-day government council assembly right here, the AFI additionally mentioned a match just like a nationwide championship or a closing trial can be held earlier than the Olympics and the World Championships to pick the groups for these occasions.
After breaching the qualification mark with a nationwide document bounce of 8.26m within the Federation Cup in March, the 22-year-old Sreeshankar fared poorly on the health trials simply earlier than Tokyo Olympics, forcing a furious AFI to ponder withdrawing him from the Games.
However, the AFI cleared Sreeshankar for the Games after his coach submitted a written assurance that his athlete would produce no less than the qualification efficiency in Tokyo. But that was to not be as he recorded his poorest bounce on the Games.
“We are not happy with his coaching programme, first action is already being taken as we have changed his coach,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla mentioned.
It is known that the AFI’s resolution to introduce a “final” match earlier than marquee international occasions such because the Olympics and World Championships is a fallout of the episode involving Sreeshankar and the nationwide federation.
“The qualification period for the Olympics and world championships is a very long one. So there will now be a final trial, it will actually be a championship and that will be a final one for selecting the teams,” mentioned AFI’s planning committee chairman Lalit Okay Bhanot.
This is being completed to make sure athletes retain peak type earlier than main occasions.
The veteran administrator additionally mentioned India will ship a full-strength squad to subsequent 12 months’s Asian Games however that might not be the case for the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
“Those who qualify will be sent to the world championship but we will send a full-strength team to Asian Games. As far as CWG is concerned, it will depend on the events we are expected to do well and where we don’t stand a chance,” he mentioned.