Robert Bobby George is one of the sharpest minds in Indian Athletics. At the junior national athletics championships at Guntur in 2017, he noticed something special in Shaili Singh the teenager who finished 5th in women’s long jump at the U-14 level.
What stuck out was the intensity with which she completed her jumps, even though she did not have the best equipment and entourage.
She came from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh- a part of the country, not particularly known for producing long jumpers. His faith was proven right, when she won the junior nationals next year with a U20NR distance of 5.94m. This is the story of Shaili Singh- hopefully, the next big thing in Indian athletics.
From 2018 to 2021, Shaili Singh was constantly pushing the envelope at the junior level, breaking one record after the other. She won the nationals’ gold in 2021 aged 17, with a distance of 6.48m.
The junior world athletics championships at Nairobi in 2021 was when the world caught its first glimpse of Shaili. She did her best-ever jump then (wind-aided) of 6.59m to win the silver medal.
All at the tender age of 17- even the legend Neeraj Chopra did not have such a rich repertoire at 17.
It has not been plain sailing since that day in Kenya for Shaili. Everyone’s eyes have been on her. Coach Anju George has openly stated that it is only a matter of time before her national record is broken. But Shaili has struggled to unlock her next level of performance.
2022 has been the toughest year so far in Singh’s career. Her best jump that year was 6.41m. That was the first year in which she had not improved her PB. Then in early 2023, she jumped 6.76m in the Indian Grand Prix at Bengaluru.
Suddenly everyone thought Paris 2024 qualification was coming soon. 2 years have passed since then and 6.76m still remains her PB. She had an underwhelming World championship (Belgrade) and Asian Games (Hangzhou) in 2023, where she did not cross 6.5m.
2024 saw her go around the world in search of the Olympic qualification mark of 6.86m. That did not happen; neither could she qualify via the rankings. The initial hype has died down.
Competition at the national level has come in the form of Ancy Sojan and Nayana James and still, the 6.8m mark remains elusive. She has won a silver at the Asian athletics championships and that remains her biggest prize, till date.
Shaili Singh’s name has been going around in Indian fan circles for quite some time. Her career trajectory has been a mix of ups and downs. But we need to remember that she is still only 21.
Her Recent Results
She won a bronze medal at the UAE Athletics Women’s Gala, registering a leap of 6.48m, and a silver medal at the UAE Grand Prix with a consistent 6.44m jump in Dubai.
However, the biggest headline came back home at the National Federation Cup, where Shaili created history by leaping 6.64m — breaking Anju Bobby George’s 23-year-old meet record.
This monumental achievement not only cements her as India’s top long jumper but also signals her arrival on the global stage.
Next up, there is an Asian championship (May 2025) and then the World championships at Tokyo, later this year.
We hope and pray, 2025 is the year Shaili breaks into the big league.
