Ancy Sojan
Indian long jumper
Ancy Sojan Edappilly has written her name into Indian athletics history with a stunning performance in the women’s long jump. The Kerala athlete produced a leap of 6.88 metres at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, breaking a national record that had stood for more than two decades.
Her achievement marks another major step in the rise of one of India’s most promising long jumpers and signals her arrival as a serious contender on the Asian athletics stage.
Key Facts
Full Name: Ancy Sojan Edappilly
Born: 1 March 2001
Birthplace: Thrissur, Kerala
Profession: Long Jumper
Represents: Kerala and Services
National Record: 6.88m
Asian Games: Silver Medal
Asian Athletics Championships: Silver Medal
Breaking a 22-Year-Old Record
Ancy’s 6.88m jump ended one of the longest-standing records in Indian athletics.
The previous national record of 6.83m was held by Anju Bobby George, who set the mark at the 2004 Athens Olympics. It remained untouched for 22 years before Ancy surpassed it by five centimetres.
The record-breaking performance came at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. Ancy began the competition with a strong 6.73m jump before producing the decisive leap of 6.88m on her fifth attempt.
She finished the competition with another impressive 6.69m effort, underlining the consistency behind her record-breaking performance.
From Thrissur to the National Stage
Born in Thrissur on 1 March 2001, Ancy Sojan has steadily established herself as one of India’s leading women long jumpers.
Her journey has been built through consistent performances at domestic competitions before she began making her mark at major international events.
Alongside representing Kerala in athletics, Ancy competes for Services and serves as a Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy.
Her combination of sporting discipline and service responsibilities has become an important part of her journey as an elite athlete.
A Breakthrough at the Asian Games
Ancy’s international breakthrough came at the Asian Games, where she won a silver medal in the women’s long jump.
Her 6.63m effort in the final established her as one of Asia’s leading young long jumpers and demonstrated that she could perform on a major international stage.
The medal also provided an important platform for her growing career.
Continuing the Momentum
Ancy followed her Asian Games success with another silver medal at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships.
She then added a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, continuing a consistent run of performances at major continental competitions.
Earlier in 2026, she had raised her personal best to 6.75m at the National Federation Cup. That performance suggested that the national record was within reach.
Only a short time later, she improved by another 13 centimetres in Bhubaneswar.
A Record With Bigger Meaning
The 6.88m leap was more than a national record. It also secured Ancy the Athletics Federation of India’s qualification mark for the 2026 Asian Games.
The performance places her among the strongest long jumpers in Asia and gives her a significant target to build on during the international season.
For Indian athletics, the achievement is particularly notable because it comes after years in which Anju Bobby George’s record had remained the benchmark in women’s long jump.
Ancy has now moved that benchmark forward.
Looking Towards the Asian Games
With the national record under her name and her qualification secured, Ancy’s focus now turns towards bigger international challenges.
She has expressed her ambition to win gold at the Asian Games, and her latest performance provides strong momentum heading into the competition.
At just 25, she has already collected major continental medals and rewritten a national record that had survived for more than two decades.
A New Chapter for Indian Long Jump
Ancy Sojan’s rise represents a new chapter for Indian women’s long jump.
Her progress from a young athlete from Thrissur to a national-record holder and continental medallist reflects years of training, consistency and competitive experience.
The 6.88m leap has changed the record books, but it may also signal the beginning of an even bigger phase of her career.
For Kerala and Indian athletics, Ancy is now not simply a promising athlete to watch. She is a national record holder with her sights firmly set on the biggest medals in Asia.
