India, Sep 30 : The Athletics Federation of India has decided to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the disputed measurement of long jumper Shaili Singh’s fourth attempt at the 2026 Asian Games, escalating a controversy that has continued since the women’s final in Nagoya.
Singh finished fourth in the women’s long jump with an official best of 6.42 metres. China’s Huang Yingying won gold with 6.55m, India’s Ancy Sojan secured silver with 6.53m and China’s Mengyi Tan took bronze with 6.46m.
The dispute centres on Singh’s fourth attempt, which was recorded as 6.41m. The Indian camp believes the jump should have been measured from a different mark in the landing area and has questioned the process used by officials to determine the distance.
Singh’s mentor and former world championship medallist Anju Bobby George has been among the strongest voices challenging the measurement. She said an official positioned close to the landing pit initially identified one mark, while another official farther away subsequently indicated a different mark that was closer to the take-off board.
According to George, the measurement was ultimately taken from the shorter mark. She argued that the mark identified nearer to the landing area should have been used instead.
The Indian team also raised concerns about the video evidence available to it after the attempt. George said officials initially showed the team a front-view recording, which the camp considered insufficient for determining the exact landing position.
The team requested a side-view recording. According to George’s account, officials initially said that such footage was unavailable. The Indian camp later appealed to the jury, which informed them that the side-view video had been examined and that the original decision would remain unchanged.
The AFI has now decided to take the matter beyond the Asian Games process by approaching the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Singh’s fourth attempt has become the central point of the dispute because her final official result left her outside the medal positions. Her recorded best of 6.42m was four centimetres short of the bronze-winning distance of 6.46m.
The federation’s action does not itself change the medal standings. Any alteration to the official result would depend on the outcome of the proceedings before the sports arbitration body.
The episode has also attracted attention because Singh’s overall performance placed her close to the medal positions even with the disputed attempt. The official result currently leaves Huang with the gold medal, Sojan with silver and Tan with bronze.
The Indian athletics camp has maintained that the question is not simply about the difference between a medal and fourth place, but about whether the competition’s measurement procedure was correctly applied.
The controversy emerged against the backdrop of difficult conditions during the long jump events at the Games. Rain affected several athletics competitions in Nagoya, with competitors having to deal with a wet runway and changing conditions.
Another Indian long jumper, Murali Sreeshankar, was affected by the conditions during the men’s final. He slipped on the take-off board and injured his ankle after recording an 8.07m effort that placed him in silver-medal position. Subsequent reports indicated that he would require several weeks of rest, although the injury was not found to involve ligament damage.
The wider circumstances have added attention to the technical aspects of the long jump competition, where the take-off board, landing area and measurement process can directly determine an athlete’s recorded distance.
For Singh, the immediate position remains unchanged: she is officially fourth while the AFI prepares its challenge. The federation will have to present its case and supporting evidence through the appropriate arbitration process.
The case also demonstrates how disputes from major multi-sport competitions can continue after an event has ended. Once the jury has issued its decision at the venue, any further challenge must follow the relevant sporting and legal procedures.
The Indian federation’s decision to seek CAS intervention means the controversy could continue after the athletics programme has concluded. The arbitration process will determine whether the evidence presented is sufficient to justify any review of the result.
Until then, the medal table remains unchanged. Huang is listed as the women’s long jump champion, Sojan holds the silver position and Tan the bronze, while Singh remains fourth with 6.42m.
The case has become one of the most closely watched issues involving the Indian athletics contingent at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. While Singh’s official result stands for now, the AFI’s planned appeal ensures that the disputed measurement will receive further scrutiny.
The final outcome will depend on the evidence submitted and the decision reached by the relevant sporting authorities. For the moment, the Indian federation is seeking a formal review rather than accepting the jury’s earlier ruling as the end of the matter.