The 2025 season marked one of the most competitively rich years in Indian women’s long jump, with unprecedented depth across the top tier and a string of personal bests that signaled both promise and persistent gaps.
Five athletes crossed the 6.30m mark this season an unprecedented spread led by the resurgence of Shaili Singh and the steady excellence of Ancy Sojan. Yet, even as domestic performances soared, the year also exposed a challenge that has haunted Indian athletics across generations: the inability to replicate peak performance on the international stage.
The biggest headline of the season belonged to 21-year-old Shaili Singh, who produced a sensational 6.64m at the National Federation Cup her best since 2023 and a jump that shattered the 23-year-old meet record previously owned by her mentor, Anju Bobby George (6.59m). It was a performance that reaffirmed Shaili’s status as the standard-bearer of the next generation, a jumper capable of pushing toward the elusive 6.83m national record. Shaili’s statistical ceiling remains unmatched within India. Her career best of 6.76m (2023) already places her within striking distance of global elite territory. Her 2025 season, however, exposed the central puzzle that now defines her growth: translating domestic brilliance into international reliability.
At the Asian Championships in Gumi, despite entering as the Asian leader and overwhelming favourite, she managed only 6.30m, settling for bronze a huge 34 cm drop from her season best. The performance gap underlines a recurring concern: championship pressure combined with foreign conditions continues to disrupt her approach rhythm, take-off mechanics, and conversion of speed. Bridging this gap is no longer a technical requirement alone; it demands psychological recalibration and travel-based competition conditioning.
Ancy Sojan: Reliability and Temperament on the Continental Stage
If Shaili represented raw potential, Ancy Sojan remained India’s most reliable international performer in 2025. The Kerala jumper registered an SB of 6.54m in May, continuing her consistent progression after a career-best 6.71m in 2024.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
At the Asian Championships, Ancy claimed silver with 6.33m, again finishing as India’s highest medalist in the discipline. While her Gumi mark too was below her SB, the gap was only 21 cm, much smaller than Shaili’s drop. The pattern across seasons is now clear: Ancy may not always hit the explosive peaks that Shaili does, but she consistently delivers when medals are at stake. This balance of reliability and competitive calmness keeps her well-positioned in the World Rankings, where she currently holds an advantage in qualifying for the World Championships in Tokyo.
For Ancy, the strategic priority now shifts toward sustaining her ranking score through a critical European tour, with key meets in London, Berlin, and Lausanne. Given the near-impossible 6.86m direct qualification standard, rankings remain India’s most realistic entry route.
India’s top two jumpers averaged 6.59m as their 2025 bests impressive by Asian standards but still a 27 cm deficit from the global qualifying mark of 6.86m. Closing this gap demands not just isolated big jumps, but the ability to replicate 6.70m-plus distances repeatedly in high-calibre meets. The European tour, therefore, is not a luxury it is a necessity.
Depth That India Has Never Seen Before
Behind Shaili and Ancy came a wave of athletes who pushed domestic long jump into its deepest competitive era.
Moumita Mondal: The Multi-Event Talent
With a PB of 6.45m, Moumita Mondal continued her rise as one of India’s most explosive athletes. A rare dual-specialist, she also clocked 13.22 seconds in 100m hurdles this year. Her speed and rhythm are evident assets on the runway, but her load-heavy training background including past heptathlon work also signals a higher risk of injury. If she decides to specialize fully in long jump, she could be India’s next 6.55m-plus challenger.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
Officially listed with a 6.31m SB, Bhagavathi actually produced a 6.44m jump in an early-season competition. The discrepancy may stem from event classification or wind readings, but strategically, it confirms that her potential aligns much closer to the Tier 2 upper bracket.
With a 2025 mark of 6.32m, Pavana remained a reliable domestic contender. Her immediate task: break through the 6.40m range, which is now the true baseline for serious national-team contention.
No athlete’s trajectory rose faster than 19-year-old Mubssina Mohammed, who delivered four personal bests in a single year, culminating in 6.36m in October 2025. Her progression has been explosive, and her current form already elevates her above Pavana and Bhagavathi in the Tier 2 hierarchy. Her technical rhythm is raw but improving rapidly, marking her as the standout developmental prospect for 2026 and the brightest long-term hope for the 2028 Olympic cycle.
The Real Challenge: Not Jumping Higher, but Jumping Better When It Counts
The 2025 season revealed two truths about Indian women’s long jump:
- India now has more athletes capable of 6.30m+ than ever before.
- None have yet mastered the art of reproducing their best on international soil.
The Asian Championships offered medals but also a warning. Shaili dropped from 6.64m to 6.30m; Ancy from 6.54m to 6.33m. The winning distance for gold was only 6.40m. India’s medal haul masked the deeper issue: inconsistency under high-pressure, out-of-country conditions. Travel stress, jet lag, runway unfamiliarity, and psychological pressure continue to disrupt performance reliability. Closing this gap is now the central strategic mission ahead of Tokyo 2025 and beyond.
Looking Ahead: The Road to 2026, the outline for progress is clear:
Shaili, Ancy: targeted international exposure, reliability-focused training, consistent 6.70m+ efforts.
Moumita, Bhagavathi, Pavana: push seasonal range above 6.40m.
Mubssina: accelerated exposure and developmental priority.
The national record of 6.83m remains the symbolic and practical gateway to global relevance. The 2025 season showed that India is closer than ever but also how much remains to be done.
One thought on “Indian Women’s Long Jump in 2025: A Season of High Ceilings, Harsh Realities, and New Rising Stars”