Muhammad Ajmal, the 26-year-old sprinter from Kerala who brought home gold in the men’s 4x400m relay at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, has been sidelined for nearly six months following a severe knee injury. The injury occurred earlier this month during a training session when Ajmal was performing a single-leg jump exercise on a grassy field. The freak accident resulted in significant damage to his right knee, specifically tearing his ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), a third-degree injury that has forced him to undergo surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
Ajmal’s injury could cause him to miss key competitions in 2025, including the World Relays scheduled for May. His forced break makes him the second high-profile Indian athlete to be sidelined this year due to a knee injury. Earlier, Commonwealth Games silver medallist in men’s long jump, Murali Sreeshankar, was also ruled out of the 2024 Paris Olympics due to a similar injury, although he has since recovered and resumed training.
Ajmal, known for his explosive speed, had set a season best of 45.69 seconds in the 400m and was a crucial part of India’s national 4x400m relay team. His contribution to the team was instrumental in securing fifth place at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where India set a national record of 2:59.05. Ajmal’s performance last season had cemented his place as a key member of the relay team, and he was widely considered one of India’s brightest track and field prospects.
The road to recovery for Ajmal is expected to be long and challenging. He has started rehabilitation under medical supervision, with doctors advising that it could take over four months before he can start jogging again. “I’ve started rehab,” Ajmal told Mykhel over the phone from Bellary in Karnataka, where he is undergoing treatment. “The doctor has said it will take more than four months before I can start jogging.”
Ajmal admitted that initially, he did not realize the full extent of the injury. He explained that the incident occurred during a routine training exercise, and the severity of the damage to his knee only became clear afterward. “The third-degree injury damaged my ACL,” he said. The surgery, which was necessary to alleviate the pain and stabilize the knee, means that Ajmal will need to take a significant amount of time to recover before he can return to competitive fitness.
Ajmal’s journey into athletics was unconventional, as he originally played football before transitioning to track racing during his school years. Despite the setback, Ajmal remains determined to return to form and represent India at the highest level once again. His dedication and hard work in the past have already made him a standout in the track and field community, and his recovery is being closely followed by fans and fellow athletes alike.
