New Delhi, India — Indian long jump sensation Murali Sreeshankar has secured his third consecutive victory since his return to the sport, winning the men’s long jump competition at the Qosanov Memorial 2025 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Saturday. The 26-year-old athlete, who is on a remarkable comeback trail after a knee injury, delivered a winning leap of 7.94 meters on his very first attempt at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze label event.
Sreeshankar’s dominant performance placed him firmly ahead of the competition. Janry Ubas of the Philippines finished as the runner-up with a jump of 7.53 meters, while Azerbaijan’s Nazim Babayev claimed third place with a 7.48-meter effort.
This victory marks a significant milestone for Sreeshankar, as it is his third competition and third win since undergoing surgery for a knee injury he sustained in April of the previous year. The injury had forced him to miss the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite having already secured his quota for the event.
His comeback journey began last month with a win at the Indian Open in Pune, where he jumped 8.05 meters. He followed that up with another victory at the Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto in Portugal, where he recorded a 7.75-meter jump.
Before his injury, Sreeshankar’s last major international appearance was a stellar performance at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, where he clinched a silver medal.
Looking ahead, Sreeshankar is scheduled to continue competing across Europe and Central Asia until August 14. His primary goal is to achieve the qualifying standard of 8.27 meters for the World Championships, which are set to take place in Tokyo this September.