Long jumper Shaili breaks her legendary trainer Anju’s 23-year-old Federation Cup record

Shaili Singh broke a 23-year-old meet record held by the trainer Anju Bobby George in the National Federation Cup Athletics at the Maharaja's College Ground in Ernakulam on Thursday.

Shaili produced a best jump of 6.64 metre to break Anju's 6.59 m meet record set in 2002. The 21-year-old has been training under the legendary jumper Anju and her husband and Dronacharya awardee Robert Bobby George for the last seven years.

Kerala's Ancy Sojan clinched silver in the event with a best of 6.46 m, while Moumita Mondal finished third with 6.45 m. The top three breached the Asian qualification mark of 6.41 m.

Shaili is the best among active woman long jumpers in the country, and produced a personal best of 6.76 metres in 2023. It was the second-best effort by an Indian woman, only behind Anju's long-standing National Record of 6.83 metres.