Aug 23, 2021
By: Mona Pachake
Credit: Twitter
Long jumper Shaili Singh, 17 — brought up by a single mother who learnt tailoring to earn a living — won a silver medal at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi on Sunday.
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She hails from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Singh moved to Bengaluru at the age of 14 to train at the Anju Bobby Sports Foundation.
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She started training under the supervision of veteran Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George and her husband Robert Bobby George.
Credit: Wikipedia
It was not a good year for Singh as she didn't even make the podium, finishing fifth with a best jump of 4.64 metres at the Junior Nationals in Vijayawada.
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The teenager set a national record by jumping 5.94 metres at the Junior Nationals in Ranchi in 2018 and won the gold medal.
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In November 2018, a year after Singh was spotted by George, the athlete was noticed by the Olympics Gold Quest (OGQ) at a competition. A non-profit sports foundation, the OGQ scouts for talent and manages athletes.
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In November, Singh broke her own national record in the under-16 category after she jumped 6.15 metres at the Junior Nationals in Guntur.
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Besides winning the gold, Singh also qualified for the World Junior Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, later in the year and also bettered the qualifying mark for the 2020 IAAF World U-20 Championships.
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In June 2021, at the Senior Athletic Championships (National Inter-state) held in Patiala, Singh jumped 6.48 metres, a new U20 record and won the long jump event while still a junior.
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Shaili Singh registered a jump of 6.59 metres in her third attempt to clinch the silver medal in the long jump.
Credit: Twitter