Ancy Sojan breaks Anju Bobby George's 22-year-old national record
Ancy Sojan made history at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar on Saturday by smashing the long-standing national record in women's long jump. The 25-year-old athlete leaped 6.88 meters, surpassing the legendary Anju Bobby George's mark of 6.83 meters set during the 2004 Athens Olympics. The performance earned her a gold medal and a place in the record books.
Dedication to father
Speaking through a press release from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), Sojan dedicated her record-breaking gold to her father. "He wanted someone in the family to be a national record holder. The gold medal will be a precious gift to him," she said. Sojan's father had long hoped for a family member to achieve this milestone, and her triumph fulfilled that dream.
Journey to the record
Sojan entered the competition with a personal best of 6.75 meters, recorded four weeks earlier in Ranchi. She started strongly with a jump of 6.73 meters, followed by a no-mark second attempt. Her third jump measured 6.67 meters, and her fourth was 6.72 meters. The pivotal moment came on her fifth attempt when the electronic scoreboard flashed 6.88 meters, confirming the new national record. She concluded with a sixth jump of 6.69 meters. "My goal today was to record a personal best of 6.75m," she said, expressing her elation at surpassing that target.
Comeback from health struggles
Sojan's achievement is even more remarkable given her recent health challenges. Last year, she struggled with health issues that forced her to take a break from the sport. "It was mentally and physically challenging. I'm happy to have made a comeback that too ahead of the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games starting September 19," she noted. Her recovery and record-breaking performance position her as a strong contender for the upcoming Asian Games.
Sarvesh Anil Kushare breaks men's high jump record
The championships also saw another national record fall as Maharashtra's seasoned high jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare, 31, cleared 2.31 meters to improve the men's high jump record. The previous mark of 2.29 meters was set by Tejaswin Shankar in 2018. Kushare attempted 2.35 meters but was unsuccessful. "I was feeling good. I got a big boost when I cleared 2.27m. Thereafter, I pushed and made an attempt to break the national record," he said, noting that he broke the record on his third attempt.
Other meet records and Asian Games qualifications
In the men's 1500 meters, Yoonus Shah of Uttar Pradesh erased the meet record of 3:40.10 set by Bahadur Prasad in Chennai, clocking 3:37.55 seconds. Yashas P also improved the meet record in the men's 400 meters hurdles with a winning time of 49.14 seconds, bettering his previous record of 49.37 seconds. Several medal winners achieved the qualification mark for the Japan Asian Games in their respective events.
