Under Murali Sreeshankar's guidance, Shahnawaz Khan eyes bigger leaps

KOCHI: When 17-year-old Shahnawaz Khan crossed the 8-metre mark at the Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meet in Bhubaneswar last week, Murali Sreeshankar was the first to rush and congratulate him. The milestone made Shahnawaz just the 12th Indian to breach the 8-metre barrier in men’s long jump.

It was a feat that barely registered with the soft-spoken teen.

“I didn’t realise it was such a big deal until Sreeshankar bhaiyya hugged me,” said Shahnawaz.

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“At the world level, 8m doesn’t mean much. Maybe it’s a big deal because I’m a junior, but for me, it felt normal.” Sreeshankar claimed gold with a leap of 8.13m, while Shahnawaz bagged silver with 8.04m. The young athlete trains under Bhupinder Singh at the SAI Centre of Excellence in Thiruvananthapuram and shares regular sessions with Sreeshankar, one of India’s elite long jumpers.

The fanfare notwithstanding, Shahnawaz remains focused on bigger goals.

“I want to clear 8.50m,” he told TOI, referring to the current national record of 8.42m held by Jeswin Aldrin. The qualification mark for the World Athletics Championships stands at 8.27m. His self-belief was evident even before the Bhubaneswar event. Confident of an 8-metre jump, he pinned a paper to his back marked “8+”. “It’s a habit. At the U-18 Nationals in Prayagraj, I wrote 7.90.

Next time, I’ll write 8.20,” he said. Shahnawaz’s rise has been steady. He won gold with a 7.70m jump at the 38th National Games in February, followed by another gold at the Junior Federation Cup in June with a 7.90m effort. His physical build — muscular as well as tall — gives him explosive power at take-off, setting him apart from many of his leaner peers. A key part of his development has been training alongside Sreeshankar. “I’ve learned a lot from him — runway technique, training routines, and his international experience. He’s always ready to help, and even his father gives advice to our coach,” Shahnawaz said. It was Sreeshankar’s guidance that helped him nail his fourth jump in Bhubaneswar after two fouls. “He told me to control my runup, and it worked , ” said Shahnawaz, though he couldn’t improve on his mark in subsequent attempts. “I’ll try to go farther in my next competition.” Off the track, the youngster faces hurdles of a different kind. “I joined the Khelo India scheme two years ago, which provides Rs 30,000 every three months, but I haven’t received it in the last six months,” Shahnawaz added, who lost his father when he was 10. Despite these setbacks, the teen’s resolve remains unshaken.