‘Either seven metres or a gold medal is what I want’: Ancy Sojan ahead of Asiad

New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Indian long jumper Ancy Sojan Edappilly has set herself two defining targets ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, becoming the country’s first woman to breach seven metres and winning gold in the long jump, after her national-record 6.88m effort brought her within 12cm of the landmark distance.

“Either seven metres or a gold medal – this is what I want,” Ancy told Olympics.com.

The 25-year-old has already moved beyond one of the biggest benchmarks in Indian women’s long jump. Her 6.88m leap earlier this year erased Anju Bobby George’s national record of 6.83m, which had stood for 22 years.

Yet the record was never the destination for Ancy.

“I never targeted the record. I always targeted seven metres,” she added.

Seven metres would carry significance beyond another entry in the record books. Ancy wants to become the first Indian woman to reach the mark, believing such a breakthrough could alter the ambitions of those following her.

“I want to do something extraordinary or something different,” Ancy said. “Everybody says they want an Olympic medal or a World Championship medal. I want more than a medal… Nobody has reached the seven-metre mark. I am aiming to be the first woman to cross the seven-metre mark in India.”

Her national record has given her a clearer idea of what remains to be done. Rather than treating 6.88m as the culmination of her progress, Ancy sees it as evidence that the seven-metre barrier is within reach — provided she can raise the quality of her approach and take-off.

“It is achievable, but not easily. I need to push harder again and again,” she said. “I know what kind of runway can help me reach there.”

Ancy has also found her own standards rising alongside the level of competition within Indian women’s long jump. Nayana James was one of the established names when she entered the senior circuit, while Shaili Singh has emerged as a significant domestic challenger in recent seasons.

Shaili’s 6.76m effort as an 18-year-old in 2023, in particular, became a source of motivation for Ancy rather than pressure

“When she performed, I started pushing and I got my personal best the same year,” Ancy said.

Their rivalry, Ancy believes, can benefit the event as a whole by creating an environment in which Indian jumpers continually demand more from themselves.

“If she is there, I feel better. If I am there, she feels better. It will help us take our long jumpers’ performance range to a world-class level.”

The emergence of Mubassina Mohammed, who has also surpassed 6.50m, adds further depth to an event that Ancy believes can continue to progress.

For her, the importance of breaking the seven-metre barrier would extend beyond personal achievement.

“Once a person hits that (7m) mark, everybody gets the courage and spirit that they can also do the same,” she said.

The immediate stage for that pursuit will be the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Ancy returns to the continental event after taking silver in Hangzhou, but this time she has no intention of settling for second place.

“This time I really want to win a gold medal,” Ancy said. “I want to be on that podium with the gold medal, hearing the national anthem and seeing our flag rising. I want to get some tears from my eyes after hearing that.”

For now, the two ambitions remain intertwined. A seven-metre jump would create a piece of Indian athletics history, while an Asian Games title would complete the step up from the silver she won in Hangzhou.

–IANS

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