Ancy Sojan created history at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar by breaking Anju Bobby George’s 22-year-old national long jump record.
The 25-year-old athlete leapt 6.88m, surpassing Anju’s 6.83m mark set at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Her performance electrified the crowd at Kalinga Stadium and confirmed her place at the upcoming Asian Games.
In men’s high jump, Sarvesh Kushare also rewrote history with a 2.31m leap, eclipsing Tejaswin Shankar’s previous record of 2.29m. The championships, held from June 24 to 28, witnessed several athletes securing Asian Games qualifications. Dev Meena excelled in pole vault, Jyothi Yarraji dominated the 100m hurdles, Anushka Yadav impressed in hammer throw, and Mohammed Afsal clinched his spot in the 800m.
Ancy credited her success to strong infrastructure and support from Reliance Foundation Sports. She highlighted the role of nutrition, training facilities, and international exposure in shaping her journey. “Even if we fail or face injuries, they trust us to bring medals for India,” she said.
Other qualifiers included Yashas P in men’s 400m hurdles, Anu Raghavan in women’s 400m hurdles, and Aadarsh Ram in men’s high jump. Defending champion Yashas set a new meet record with 49.14s in a thrilling photo finish.
