New Delhi: Asian Games silver medallist Murali Sreeshankar opened his international season on a winning note by clinching the men’s long jump title at the Simbine Classic 2026 athletics meet in Pretoria, South Africa, on Tuesday.
Competing at the Pilditch Stadium, the 27-year-old Indian athlete registered a best jump of 8.12 metres to secure the top position. He finished ahead of South Africa’s Divan Manuel, who managed 8.07 metres, while Rio 2016 silver medallist Luvo Manyonga took third place with a jump of 7.86 metres, according to olympics.com.
The Simbine Classic 2026 is a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver category event. Sreeshankar’s personal best stands at 8.41 metres, which he achieved at the Indian Championships three years ago. The national record in men’s long jump is 8.42 metres, held by Jeswin Aldrin.
This was Sreeshankar’s second competition of the season. Earlier this month, he won the Indian Athletics Series in Bengaluru with a jump of 8.15 metres. With his latest performance, he has also surpassed the Athletics Federation of India’s Asian Games qualifying standard of 7.91 metres.
However, meeting the qualifying mark alone does not ensure selection for the national team. As per the AFI selection policy, athletes are required to participate in at least three domestic competitions, including mandatory participation in state championships, to be considered for selection.
