Asian Games 2026: Why is AFI moving to CAS over Shaili Singh Long Jump Event? Latest Update on Dispute as India seek Answer

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the disputed measurement of Shaili Singh's fourth attempt in the women's long jump at the Asian Games 2026, after the Indian athlete finished fourth in the final.

Shaili recorded a best official distance of 6.42m, finishing just outside the medals. Fellow Indian Ancy Sojan won silver with 6.53m, while China's Huang Yingying claimed gold with 6.55m.

Why is AFI moving to CAS over Shaili Singh Long Jump?

The controversy centres on Shaili's fourth attempt, which was officially measured at 6.41m. According to her mentor and AFI senior vice-president Anju Bobby George, the measurement was taken from a mark that was farther from the take-off board, despite another official near the landing pit initially identifying a different mark.

"We saw her jump was clearly ahead of the gold-winning mark. Initially, the official near the landing pit pointed to Shaili's leg mark for the measurement," Anju told PTI.

She alleged that another official subsequently pointed to a mark that was considerably closer to the take-off board, and the measurement was ultimately taken from that point.

Shaili protested the decision during the competition, with footage reviewed by officials. According to Anju, the Indian camp sought a side-view video to examine the landing more closely. The jury later upheld the original decision after stating that it had reviewed the relevant footage.

The AFI has now decided to escalate the matter to the Lausanne-based CAS. The federation's move comes after its attempts to challenge the measurement through the competition's internal process did not alter the result.

The dispute has added another layer to what was already a dramatic long-jump final for India. Shaili narrowly missed the podium, while Ancy's silver ensured that India still had a representative on the medal podium.

The CAS appeal will now determine whether the disputed measurement can be revisited through the available sporting arbitration process. For the moment, however, Shaili's official result remains 6.42m and her fourth-place finish stands.

Shaili was denied a medal, but her fellow compatriot Ancy Sojan won with a Silver at the event. Ancy was also leading the race with a 6.53m jump but was denied a gold by just 2 centimetres.