MP long jumper wins gold in Guwahati

Madhya Pradesh’s long jumper Ankit Sharma broke a 26-year-old record to win gold medal at the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Updated on: Feb 12, 2016, 14:28:47 IST

Hindustan Times | By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Madhya Pradesh’s long jumper Ankit Sharma broke a 26-year-old record to win gold medal at the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati on Wednesday.

The Madhya Pradesh sportsman surpassed Pakistan’s Mohammad Urfaq record jump of 7.79 metre. The Indian set a new Games record with a leap of 7.89 metre.

“It’s a good start for me. I am happy after achieving a record. ... But I couldn’t repeat my last year’s Kerala National Games performance where I jumped 8.04 metre,” Sharma told HT over phone.

He is the fifth athlete from India and first from the state to cross the 8 metre mark.

“My ultimate aim is to compete in the Rio Olympics. This year, chances are bright for me. To qualify in the Olympics, I have to register a leap of 8.16 metre. In March, I will leave for high-level training in South Africa. I still have few months to achieve my dream,” the Morena native said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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