Kerala's star long jumper Ancy Sojan has achieved what once seemed untouchable in Indian athletics. Competing on the fourth day of the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar, the Kerala athlete surpassed Anju Bobby George's iconic national record, which had stood since the 2004 Olympics. Sojan’s breathtaking leap of 6.88m added five centimeters to George's long-standing mark of 6.83m.
Ancy Sojan breaks Anju Bobby George's 22-year-old national record
The historic distance was achieved on Sojan's fifth attempt, capping off a highly consistent performance. She signaled her intent right from the start with a massive 6.73m leap on her first try, before wrapping up her night with a 6.69m jump on her final run. Beyond rewriting the record books, the performance punched her ticket for the upcoming Asian Games.
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Born on March 1, 2001, in Thrissur, Kerala, has enjoyed a meteoric rise in Indian track and field over the last few years. Balancing her sporting career with national service, she serves as a Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy and represents the Indian Navy and Services in domestic meets. She first announced herself on the big stage with a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, followed by a silver at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships and a bronze at the 2026 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships. After setting a new personal best at the Federation Cup earlier this season, this national record firmly cements her status as the country's premier female long jumper.
Shaili Singh comes second
The women’s long jump competition showcased incredible depth, with Uttar Pradesh’s Shaili Singh taking second place with a leap of 6.67m, and Lakshadweep’s Mubassina Mohammed finishing third at 6.53m. Remarkably, all three podium finishers successfully breached the Asian Games qualification standard. However, due to tournament regulations, only two of these athletes will be permitted to represent India at the upcoming Games in Nagoya, scheduled from September 19 to October 4.
Moments before the long jump fireworks, Maharashtra’s Sarvesh Kushare electrified the stadium by smashing the men's high jump national record with a monumental clearance of 2.31m. Kushare's historic feat contributed to an extraordinarily competitive meet, which has already seen an impressive total of five national records fall.
Kushare, who previously made history as the first Indian to reach a men's high jump final at the World Athletics Championships, shattered the previous national mark of 2.29m held by Tejaswin Shankar since 2018. After effortlessly clearing 2.31m to become the first Indian high jumper ever to cross the 2.30m barrier, Kushare boldly attempted 2.35m but fell short on his two subsequent tries.
Nevertheless, his spectacular performance catapulted him to the top of the Asian leaderboards and into a joint-third ranking globally for the season. Naturally, his 2.31m clearance also obliterated the Athletics Federation of India's Asian Games qualifying benchmark of 2.19m.