Ansie Sojan wins silver in Asian Games women's long jump

Nagoya: Kerala's Ansie Sojan Edappilly secured a silver medal in the women's long jump at the Asian Games, narrowly missing out on gold after a Chinese athlete produced a decisive final attempt. Ansie recorded a best jump of 6.53 metres, while the Chinese competitor overtook her with a 6.55-metre effort in the final round.

Ansie had led the competition for much of the event and fought until the final attempt to retain the top position. The result gave her a second consecutive Asian Games silver after she finished runner-up at the previous edition in Hangzhou.

The 25-year-old entered the competition with renewed confidence after recently breaking a 22-year-old national record in the women's long jump. She had rewritten Anju Bobby George's long-standing mark with a 6.88-metre jump in Bhubaneswar, establishing herself as one of India's leading field athletes.

Ansie's rise has been shaped by her journey from Nattika, a coastal village in Thrissur district. The daughter of autorickshaw driver Edappilly Sojan and Jansy, she began her sporting career at Nattika Government Fisheries Higher Secondary School before graduating from St Thomas College, Thrissur.

She later joined the Indian Navy as a Chief Petty Officer while continuing her athletics career. She trained under coach Anoop Joseph at the Reliance Jio Institute in Mumbai.

Ansie won silver at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi and bronze at the Asian Indoor Championships in Tianjin. She also claimed gold at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bhubaneswar and at the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships.

Her latest Asian Games silver adds another major achievement to a career that has rapidly established her as one of India's prominent women's long-jump athletes.