Indian Ansi Sujan Edabele (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan)
Indian Athletics witnessed a historic day at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where two long-standing national records were broken. Ansi Sujan of Kerala produced a stunning performance in the women’s long jump, beating a record that had stood for more than two decades and set by one of India’s greatest athletes, Anju Bobby George.
The 25-year-old Ansi jumped 6.88 meters to set a new national record, beating the previous record set by Anju Bobby George, which was 6.83 metres, which was achieved during the 2004 Athens Olympics season. Her achievement marks an important milestone in Indian athletics and signals the arrival of a new standard in the event.ANSI’s record-breaking effort was the highlight of the day at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, where the inter-state national championships are being held from June 24-28. The Kerala athlete’s jump ended Anju Bobby George’s 22-year reign as the national record holder in the women’s long jump.The performance also strengthens Ansi’s credentials as one of India’s leading track and field athletes ahead of upcoming international competitions.The tournament also saw another drop in the national record in the men’s high jump. Sarvesh Kushare cleared a distance of 2.31m to set a new national mark, surpassing Tejaswin Shankar’s previous record of 2.29m.
Several athletes also secured qualifying spots for the upcoming Asian Games through their performances in Bhubaneswar. They include pole vaulter Dev Meena, women’s 100m hurdles runner Jyothi Yaragi, hammer thrower Anushka Yadav and middle-distance runner Mohammad Afsal.