Meet Ancy Sojan Edappilly, the Indian long jumper who won silver at Asian Games 2026 and holds the national record with a 6.88m jump.
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/others/who-is-ancy-sojan-edappilly-meet-indian-long-jumper-who-won-silver-at-asian-games-2026-8530631/
Ancy Sojan Edappilly competes in the women’s long jump final at Asian Games 2026(Photo: IANS)
Ancy Sojan Edappilly came close to winning gold in the women’s long jump at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on SundayThe Indian settled for silver after China’s Huang Yingying produced her best jump on the final attempt of the competition.
Ancy’s best effort measured 6.53m at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic StadiumHuang went two centimetres better with a 6.55m jump to take the gold medalChina’s Mengyi Tan finished third with 6.46m.
India also had Shaili Singh in the finalShe finished fourth after recording 6.42m.
Who is Ancy Sojan Edappilly?
Ancy Sojan Edappilly is a long jumper from Thrissur, KeralaIn fact, she did not begin her athletics career as a long jumperShe was a sprinter in her early years, before moving on to the long jump.
Her speed as a sprinter later became an important element in her long jump careerAncy slowly worked her way into the Indian senior athletics set up with steady work on her technique and fitness.
She made her first big international breakthrough at the 2023 Asian Games in HangzhouAncy won the silver medal with a jump of 6.63m, which was her personal best at the time.
Ancy broke Anju Bobby George’s long jump record
Ancy took another big step forward in 2026.
At the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, she produced a massive 6.88m jumpThe effort broke Anju Bobby George’s Indian record of 6.83m, which had stood for 22 years.
The performance made Ancy the new Indian record-holder in women’s long jump and gave her another major achievement before the Asian Games.
She also added another international medal to her growing collection with silver at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships.
Ancy misses gold by just two centimetres
Ancy started the Asian Games final strongly with a 6.49m effort in her opening attemptHer second jump was a foul, but the first attempt kept her at the top of the standings.
She later produced 6.53m in the fifth round after Huang had matched her earlier 6.49m markThat jump put Ancy back in front and left her just one attempt away from gold.
Huang, however, saved her best effort for the final jumpHer 6.55m effort moved her into first place, leaving Ancy with silver.
Another big medal for Indian Athletics
Ancy’s Asian Games silver adds to what has been a strong rise in her career over the last few years.
From competing in sprint events to becoming India’s national record-holder in long jump, her journey has taken a clear upward turnHer 6.88m national record, along with medals at the Asian Games and Asian Athletics Championships, has put her among the leading names in Indian women’s long jump.
At 23, Ancy now has another major international medal to add to her growing athletics resume.
