Bhubaneswar: Ancy Sojan breaks Anju Bobby George’s national long jump record

By Rohan Gupta — 27 June 2026 — 3 min read

Historic Achievements in Indian Athletics

Ancy Sojan of Kerala has set a new National record in the women’s long jump, achieving a leap of 6.88m at the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships. This performance, delivered on Saturday, surpassed the previous record of 6.83m held by Anju Bobby George for 22 years. Anju Bobby George had established her record at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Ancy’s record-breaking jump occurred during her fifth attempt at the Kalinga Stadium. She demonstrated strong consistency throughout the competition, starting with a significant first jump of 6.73m, which also met the qualification standard for the Asian Games. Her achievement marks a pivotal moment in Indian athletics, concluding one of the longest-standing records in the sport.

Following her historic jump, Ancy expressed her hope that Anju Bobby George would be proud of her accomplishment. She also shared her ambition to replicate this performance to secure a gold medal at the Asian Games and qualify for the World Championships. Ancy, who is an Asian Games silver medallist, had previously achieved a jump of 6.75m at the Federation meet in Ranchi last month.

In addition to Ancy’s feat, Sarvesh Kushare of Maharashtra also established a new National record in the men’s high jump. He cleared 2.31m, improving upon Tejaswin Shankar’s record of 2.29m, which had stood since 2018. Kushare’s successful attempt made him the first Indian high jumper to clear 2.30m. He met the Asian Games qualification mark before his record-breaking jump.

Kushare mentioned that his body felt well-coordinated on the day, enabling his performance. He had previously attempted to clear 2.30m in Ranchi without success. His performance places him among the top high jumpers in Asia for the season. He made two attempts to clear 2.35m but was unsuccessful.

Other Notable Performances and Records

The National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships also saw other significant records being broken. Yoonus Shah of Uttar Pradesh clocked 3:37.55 in the men’s 1500m, breaking Bahadur Prasad’s 31-year-old record of 3:40.10, set in 1995. Shah’s time also secured the Asian Games qualification mark of 3:42.00.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Yashas P. of Karnataka won with a time of 49.14 seconds, narrowly beating Santhosh Kumar T. of Tamil Nadu in a photo-finish. Yashas’s time also set a new national meet record, surpassing his own previous record of 49.37 seconds from 2023.

The championships have witnessed a total of five national records being set. These performances highlight a period of strong achievement in Indian athletics, with athletes pushing boundaries in various events. Ancy Sojan’s record is particularly notable as it concludes a long-standing mark set by a highly respected athlete.

Ancy, born on March 1, 2001, in Thrissur, Kerala, serves as a Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy. Her career has seen a rapid ascent, including a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou with a jump of 6.63m. She also secured another silver at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships and a bronze at the 2026 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, demonstrating her consistent performance on the continental stage.

Her 6.88m jump is the eighth-best performance in Asian history and makes her only the second Asian woman in the last two decades to clear the 6.85m mark. This achievement places her in an elite category within Asian athletics. Ancy’s performance suggests a promising future for her in international competitions, with the World Athletics Championships on the horizon.

In the men’s shot put, Karanveer Singh of Punjab secured gold with a throw of 20.49m, followed by Samardeep Gill of Madhya Pradesh with 20.40m. Tajinderpal Toor of Punjab finished third with 20.27m. The event took place on Saturday, June 27.

Source: thehindu.com

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter