Anurag C.V Leaps Into History: Meet India’s Third 8-Meter Long Jumper of 2025

At the India Open U-23 Athletics Championships in Warangal, the long jumper leapt to a personal best of 8.06m, becoming only the third Indian in 2025 to cross the coveted 8-metre mark, following Murali Sreeshankar and Shahnavaz Khan.

Not only did this jump earn him gold, but it also shattered his previous meet record of 7.87m, signaling the arrival of a new force in Indian athletics. With each leap, Anurag is proving that the future of India's long jump scene is bright-and very much his to define.

At just 21, Anurag is proving that he's a force to reckon within the Indian athletics. His journey has been remarkable last December, he jumped 7.90m at the All India Inter University Meet in Bhubaneswar, a leap that being impressive, didn't count officially

due to World Athletics recognition rules.

Today, however, he made it official, with a series of jumps that thrilled the audience: 7.88m, 8.06m, 7.96m, 6.62m, no mark, and finally 7.88m. Anurag trains under Kerala's Meran Joe Sebastian at Mar Athanasius College, the same coach whose trainee Sinchana M.S leapt past 6m yesterday to win silver in the women's long jump. Two days, two personal bests, two medals, a coach's dream.

His rise comes at an exciting time for Indian long jumping. With the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games on the horizon in 2026, all eyes will be on Anurag, Murali, Shahnavaz, and other top jumpers like National record holder Jeswin Aldrin, Federation Cup 2025 champion David P, and India's fourth best long jumper Muhammed Anees Yahiya.

While Jeswin Aldrin is not in good form, having failed to cross the 8m mark last year and this year, he will be looking to bounce back. Another jumper, David P, who hasn't yet crossed 8m but shows great potential, stunned the field by defeating national record holder Jeswin Aldrin and the experienced Muhammed Anees Yahiya to win gold in the men's long jump final at the Federation Cup this year with a leap of 7.94m.

This marks the second time in David's career that he has come tantalizingly close to the elusive 8-metre barrier, having previously recorded 7.94m in 2023. Anurag's 8.06m leap isn't just a number, it's a statement: the young jumper is here, and he's ready to soar even higher.