‘Dream of Hearing the National Anthem’: Ancy Sojan Sets Sights on Asian Games Glory

Indian long jumper Ancy Sojan has begun her preparations for the Asian Games with a clear target in mind: winning gold and hearing the Indian national anthem from the podium.

The 25-year-old strengthened her credentials at the World Athletics Silver-level meet in Bhubaneswar on August 22, winning the long jump with an effort of 6.71m. Shaili Singh finished second with 6.56m.

However, Ancy believes she has much more to offer. Competing while managing a knee issue, she admitted that her winning jump was below her best and that she needs rest before the Asian Games.

“I have a little bit of a knee issue going on, and I have not been able to take off on the jump the way I want to,” Ancy said. She added that she had started her season early and wanted to recover before arriving at the Asian Games refreshed.

Ancy’s gold medal dream

Ancy has enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season. In June, she broke the long-standing national record held by Anju Bobby George by jumping 6.88m in Bhubaneswar.

She has also recorded three jumps beyond 6.70m this year, underlining her consistency and making her one of India’s strongest medal hopes at the Asian Games.

Her 6.88m is currently the leading women’s long jump mark in Asia this year, ahead of China’s Yingying Huang, whose best stands at 6.76m.

The performance has also changed Ancy’s belief in her own ability. At the 2023 Asian Games, China’s Xiong Shiqi won gold with 6.73m, while Ancy took silver with 6.63m.

This time, Ancy is aiming for the top step of the podium.

“The national record made me stronger. So, I am confident that my average jump should be higher than it used to be,” she said. “My main dream is to win the Asian Games and to hear the national anthem when I am at the podium.”

Visualising the perfect jump

Ancy has also adopted visualisation as part of her preparation, inspired in part by badminton coach Vimal Kumar’s approach with young Indian player Ayush Shetty.

Before Shetty faced World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi at the Badminton World Championships, Kumar reportedly encouraged him to repeatedly visualise victory. Shetty went on to defeat the defending champion in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.

Ancy has incorporated a similar exercise into her own routine. She sets aside time to imagine herself achieving her goals, particularly standing on the Asian Games podium while the Indian national anthem plays.

“I say that to myself every day: ‘You are stronger than you think. Believe in yourself. Do not underestimate yourself,’” she said.

Ancy acknowledged that she has often doubted herself during competitions, particularly when her technique has not worked as planned. She is now trying to replace those doubts with a specific target: visualising a jump beyond seven metres.

She believes that approach helped her produce the 6.88m national record and intends to use it again ahead of the Asian Games.

What does visualisation do?

Visualisation is different from manifestation, which is based on the belief that focusing intensely on a desired outcome can influence whether it happens.

Psychiatrist Dr Sanjay Chugh explained that visualisation has a neurological basis. When an athlete mentally rehearses an action, the brain can activate neurological pathways similar to those involved when performing the action physically.

According to Dr Chugh, repeatedly practising this mental process can reinforce patterns of thought and behaviour through neuroplasticity. Over time, the repeated mental rehearsal can make a desired action or response more familiar.

“The brain has already been activated through the process of visualisation,” he explained.

For Ancy, the process is now part of her preparation for the biggest target of her season. Her performances and current Asian-leading mark give her reason to believe she can challenge for gold.

But the Kerala athlete has an even bigger target in mind: crossing the seven-metre barrier.

If she achieves it, Ancy would enter uncharted territory for Indian women’s long jump and move closer to fulfilling the image she has been rehearsing every day — standing on the Asian Games podium and hearing the national anthem.