Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare Set New National Records at Athletics Championships
Ancy Sojan Breaks Long-Standing National Record
Indian long jumper Ancy Sojan has made headlines by breaking a 22-year-old national record at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships. Her impressive jump of 6.88 meters surpassed the previous record of 6.83 meters set by Anju Bobby George during the 2004 Athens Olympics. Ancy, 25, expressed that this achievement signifies India's rising prominence in global athletics. She emphasized her goal of maintaining consistency and aims to secure a gold medal at the upcoming Asian Games. "This is a testament to our growth as world-class jumpers. I aspire to keep this level of performance. After a decade of hard work, I finally earned my first international medal, and now I am focused on winning gold at the Asian Games," she stated.
Sarvesh Kushare Achieves New High Jump Record
On the same day, Sarvesh Anil Kushare from Maharashtra also made his mark by setting a new national record in high jump at 2.31 meters. This achievement broke the previous record of 2.29 meters held by Tejaswin Shankar since 2018. Although Sarvesh attempted to raise the bar to 2.35 meters, he was unsuccessful. In an interview, he expressed his satisfaction with the new record but indicated that he is striving for even greater heights. "While I am pleased with my 2.31-meter jump, I am not completely satisfied. My focus is now on preparing for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, both of which are approaching quickly. I will concentrate on training and evaluating my preparation level. I appreciate everyone's support that helped me achieve this record today, and I aim to win a gold medal," he remarked.
Additional Athletes Qualify for Asian Games
Several other athletes have also secured their spots for the Asian Games through their performances at the championships held from June 24 to 28 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Notable qualifiers include Dev Meena in men's pole vault, Jyothi Yarraji in women's 100 m hurdles, Anushka Yadav in women's hammer throw, and Mohammed Afsal in men's 800 m.