National Inter-State Athletics Championships: Ancy Sojan Breaks Anju Bobby George’s 22-Year-Old Record

Indian athletics celebrated a landmark day at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar on Saturday as Kerala’s Ancy Sojan broke Anju Bobby George’s 22-year-old women’s long jump national record, while Maharashtra’s Sarvesh Kushare rewrote the men’s high jump record.

Ancy produced the biggest moment of the championships with a remarkable 6.88m effort in her fifth attempt, surpassing the legendary Anju’s previous national record of 6.83m, which was set at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The 25-year-old had already secured the Asian Games qualification mark set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) with her opening jump of 6.73m.

Her record-breaking effort later in the competition pushed her to the top of the Asian season rankings, improving on her earlier personal best of 6.75m that had placed her second in the continent this season.

Ancy’s performance also marked the fall of one of the most iconic records in Indian athletics. Anju Bobby George, the only Indian to win a World Championships medal in athletics, had held the women’s long jump record since her historic effort in Athens.

Uttar Pradesh’s Shaili Singh finished second in the event with a jump of 6.67m, while Lakshadweep’s Mubassina Mohammed claimed third place with 6.53m.

Both athletes also crossed the Asian Games qualification standard, although only two competitors can make the Indian squad for the continental event, which will be held from September 19 to October 4.

Ancy, who won silver at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou with a 6.63m jump, has continued her steady rise on the international stage. She also secured silver at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships and bronze at the 2026 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.

Despite creating history, Ancy revealed that breaking the national record was not her initial goal when she arrived in Bhubaneswar. Her focus was on improving her personal best.

"I came here to do my PB, not the national record, and (I) just wanted to be a good world-class jumper. But, finally it (national record) happened," Ancy said as quoted by PTI.

The long jumper admitted that fatigue and discomfort tested her during the event before she produced the record-breaking leap.

"I felt like I was getting tired, but suddenly I remembered my last Asian Games and I got a boost. I went to my coach and told him that I was feeling some stomach issues. But my coach said 'you can do it'. Finally, I took a deep breath and did the jump, it happened," she added as quoted by PTI.

Ancy also credited Anju Bobby George for inspiring her journey and expressed hope that the legendary athlete would be happy with the new record.

"She (Anju) is a legend. I want to just say, ma'am has truly been an inspiration. I recently read that she competed with one kidney...and about her story. That inspired me a lot," Ancy said as quoted by PTI.

"I saw her jump several times and I know how hard she trained for that. And I hope ma'am should be happy for this and she would support me, I hope," she added.

The Kerala athlete believes her record reflects the progress Indian athletics has made in recent years.

"This is proof that India also has good jumpers. If someone works hard, they can achieve it. Just believe in yourselves and be patient and be dedicated to your work," Ancy said as quoted by PTI.

After dealing with a dip in form last year due to hormonal issues, Ancy is now aiming to continue her progress and target a gold medal for India at the Asian Games.

Earlier in the day, Sarvesh Kushare added another record to the championships by breaking the men’s high jump national mark. The Paris 2024 Olympian cleared 2.31m to become the first Indian high jumper to clear 2.30m.

Kushare surpassed Tejaswin Shankar’s previous national record of 2.29m, which had stood since 2018. The Maharashtra athlete, who became the first Indian to qualify for the men’s high jump final at the World Championships in Tokyo last year, moved to joint third in the global season rankings and became the leading Asian high jumper this year.

Kushare later attempted 2.35m but could not clear the height in his remaining attempts. His record-breaking performance also saw him comfortably clear the AFI’s Asian Games qualification standard of 2.19m.

The National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships have now witnessed five national records, turning the event into a memorable chapter for Indian athletics.