Shaili’s mark wrongly measured by Asiad officials, says AFI; set to move CAS

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has accused Asian Games officials of making an erroneous measurement during the long jump event, which they claim prevented aspiring athlete Shaili Singh from earning a medal. India's Ancy Sojan secured silver with a jump of 6.53 meters, while China's Huang Yingying clinched gold with her final jump of 6.55 meters.

Shaili narrowly missed out on a medal after her fourth attempt, which was officially recorded at 6.41 meters. Shaili's mentor, senior vice president of the AFI Anju Bobby George, asserts that her jump was clearly longer than the gold-winning mark. According to her, the measurement was initially taken from the official closest to the landing pit, but later, another official standing further away pointed to a mark that was shorter than the correct one.

The accurate measurement should have been taken from the initial official's position. The AFI plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the officials' choice. They were provided with a video from a front view, which is insufficient for determining where Shaili landed. Despite demanding a side view video, their request was denied.

The AFI's appeal to the jury was also unsuccessful, as they maintained their original decision despite reviewing side view videos. The athlete's mentor emphasizes that missing out on a medal would have been unjust, as Shaili could have won gold with the correct measurement. The Athletics Federation of India has decided to escalate the matter to the CAS in response.