‘I was struggling with hormonal problems’: How Ancy Sojan turned sacrifice into gold with a record-breaking jump

RANCHI: Ancy Sojan wished she had been careful and avoided misjumps in the long jump event at the Senior Athletics Federation national competition. Not only did she do that, she also bettered her personal best and event record when she jumped 6.75m to win the gold at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Morabad here on Friday.It wouldn’t have been possible without her determination to push herself, especially when she was dealing with a hormonal issue that made it difficult for her to lose weight. As a result, she even had to starve at times, and now all her sacrifices have finally paid off.The Asian Games silver medalist said: “I was struggling with hormonal issues and it was very difficult for me to lose weight. I had to be very disciplined in my diet and training. I knew that if I wanted to perform well, I had to stay committed and follow what my coach told me.”“There were times when I felt very hungry but I controlled myself and stuck to the plan. It was tough but it worked. I managed to lose fat and weight and now I can see the difference in my performance,” added Ancy, who trained under trainer Anoop Joseph.“I still remember those days in the offseason when I was literally in tears after running. But deep down I just wanted to come back with a strong performance.”Ancy’s run on Friday was 6.47m, 6.56m, 6.69m, 6.75m, 6.68m and 6.57m and she now believes she can go even further, surpassing the current national record of 6.83m held by Anja Bobby George.“I was aiming for the Commonwealth Games but I lost 9cm. I believe it will come,” said Ancy, whose 2025 season has been cut short by injury.Despite failing to make the cut for the CWG, it was a great comeback after a 2025 setback when her best performance was just 6.54m and her detractors began to question whether she could go any further. But she proved him wrong, mostly thanks to her fighting spirit.“The mental preparation has always been there, but I want to overcome obstacles, fight through them, whether it’s the wind, the weather or my own mind,” said the 25-year-old player, who also received an encouraging message from her good friend Moumita Modal before the tournament.As for her doubters, she is focused on letting her performances do the talking.“I’ve heard a lot of people saying ‘she’s not coming back’ or ‘this smaller athlete can beat her’. I’ve heard the rumors, but I’m fine with that. I’ll keep training hard and show what I can do. I believe I showed that in the first competition,” she added.Let’s hope she can maintain this performance in the next tournaments and shine again at the Asian Games for which she has already qualified.