Bhubaneswar, June 27: The moment Ancy Sojan's fifth jump landed in the sand pit at Kalinga Stadium, she knew it was special. What she didn't know immediately was that she had just rewritten Indian athletics history.
The electronic scoreboard flashed 6.88m. A new national record. A new meet record. Asian Games qualification secured. More importantly, a 22-year-old benchmark set by Indian athletics icon Anju Bobby George had finally been surpassed.
The 25-year-old Kerala long jumper roared in celebration before emotions overwhelmed her. She sat beside the pit, tears filling her eyes as years of sacrifice, setbacks and perseverance culminated in one unforgettable evening at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships.
In an exclusive
conversation with myKhel after her historic feat, Ancy revealed that breaking Anju Bobby George's national record was never the ultimate target.
"6.83 was never a mental barrier for me. I was aiming more than that. I'm not just aiming for the national record. I want to cross seven metres as soon as possible," Ancy told myKhel.
A Record-Breaking Series
Ancy's evening began in the best possible fashion. Her opening jump of 6.73m not only put her firmly in contention for gold but also secured qualification for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. With the qualification standard safely achieved, she could focus entirely on chasing something bigger.
Her series reflected remarkable consistency: 6.73m, Foul, 6.67m, 6.72m, 6.88m (National Record), and 6.69m.
The fifth attempt proved magical. The jump erased Anju Bobby George's national record of 6.83m, set during the 2004 Athens Olympics, and also eclipsed Mayookha Johny's meet record of 6.63m.
Remarkably, the Keralam girl was barely three years old when Anju established that record in the Greek capital.
Learning From The World's Best
The Thrissur girl credits her recent growth to studying elite international jumpers and understanding what separates the world's best from the rest. "I continuously watch international athletes. I watch their competitions, their fitness levels, their speed and how they handle pressure. Even today I watched the European Championships. Athletes like Malaika Mihambo, Ivana Vuleta and Larissa Iapichino keep pushing each other through all six jumps. I learn a lot from that. "
The 25-year-old believes success is built on discipline and patience. "The first thing I realised is that I need to be disciplined and fit. Last year I struggled with fitness. This year I worked hard on it. We had a very good off-season and patience and hard work paid off. "
A Father's Dream Fulfilled
Behind Ancy's rise lies the unwavering support of her family. Her father, Sojan, worked as an auto-rickshaw driver and never allowed financial constraints to derail his daughter's sporting ambitions.
Many questioned his decision to invest in athletics. Today, Ancy's success provides the answer. "My father is an auto driver. People used to ask him why he was sending his daughter into sports and where she would reach. Today I can proudly say I have reached here. "
Ancy revealed that her father sacrificed work opportunities to accompany her to competitions and support her journey. "He always treated me like a princess. Even when I failed, he never scolded me. He motivated me. He missed a lot of work because he wanted to watch me compete. This record is dedicated to him and my coach. "
The emotional significance of the achievement became even greater because her father had once expressed a wish that someone in the family would one day become a national record holder.
That dream has now become reality.
EXCLUSIVE 🎥
- myKhel.com (@mykhelcom) June 27, 2026
“6.83 was never a mental barrier for me. I was aiming more than that.”
Ancy Sojan tells mykhel after Anju Bobby George’s 22-year-old National record set in 2004.
Today, Ancy Sojan broke National Record in the women's long jump with a leap of 6.88m at the Inter… pic.twitter.com/F5PV8IqZ4I
From Sprinter To National Record Holder
Interestingly, long jump was not Ancy's first event. She began her athletic journey as a sprinter before coaches recognised her natural jumping ability. "I started as a sprinter. My coach asked me to try long jump when I was in school. I was good at it and started getting results. Because of my sprinting background, I got a lot of improvement in long jump and eventually focused fully on it. "
Her admiration for sporting greatness started with another legend. "Usain Bolt was my role model. I watched a lot of his videos. My father told me that one day I should represent India like him. That inspired me. "
The Coach Behind The Rise
Ancy reserved special praise for coach Anup Joseph, who has overseen her transformation into one of Asia's premier long jumpers. She revealed how her performances have steadily improved under his guidance.
"My personal best was around 6.36m before. Then it became 6.51m, 6.55m, 6.63m, 6.71m, 6.75m and now 6.88m. The progression shows that the training is working. "
Moments before the record-breaking jump, Ancy admitted she was feeling uncomfortable physically. "Before the fifth jump, I told my coach that I wasn't feeling right. He told me I was okay and to stay calm. Then suddenly I got goosebumps and produced that jump. "
Eyes On The Seven-Metre Barrier
Even after rewriting Indian athletics history, Ancy remains unsatisfied.
The next milestone is already in her sights.
No Indian woman has crossed the coveted seven-metre mark.
Ancy wants to become the first. "I know that nobody has touched seven metres. I want to become the first Indian woman to cross seven metres. "
Her record-breaking jump of 6.88m now stands as:
- New Indian National Record
- New Meet Record
- Asian Lead in 2026
- Seventh-best jump in the world this season
- Eighth-best jump in Asian history
- Automatic qualification for the 2026 Asian Games
For an athlete who has spent years quietly building her reputation through consistency and dedication, the achievement is richly deserved. But if Ancy Sojan's words are anything to go by, Indian athletics may not have witnessed her best jump yet.
The national record has fallen. The seven-metre barrier is next.
