Bhubaneswar: KIIT-DU is set to make history by sending the largest contingent of student-athletes among all Indian universities to the 2025 World University Games (WUG) in Germany. With 40 athletes competing across seven sporting disciplines, KIIT will have the highest representation by a single Indian university in any edition of the Games.
The 2025 World University Games will be held from July 16 to 27 across the Rhine-Ruhr region and Berlin. Known as the Olympics for university athletes aged 17 to 25, the event will see participation from over 300 Indian student-athletes from 61 universities, selected through trials that drew entries from more than 400 universities nationwide.
KIIT has also been entrusted once again as a Nodal University by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), continuing a leadership role it has played in previous editions such as Napoli 2019 and Chengdu 2023.
The athletes representing KIIT include Ms. Rupal (400m sprint); Ms. Ankita Dhyani (3000m steeplechase); Mr. Jeswin Aldrin (Long Jump); Mr. Praveen Chithravel (Triple Jump) and Mr. Animesh Kujur (current national record holder in 100m sprint).
Congratulating the sports persons and also the Indian Team the Founder of KIIT and KISS Dr Achyuta Samanta said, we are promoting “Education with Sports” model at KIIT. KIIT University has invested heavily in sporting infrastructure, training facilities, and athlete support systems, he added.
KIIT’s role in the Indian delegation is not limited to athletes alone. The 407-member contingent (including sports and administrative officials) will benefit from the presence of seasoned coaches and experts such as Arjuna Awardee Rahul Banerjee (Archery), Surinder Singh (National Archery Coach), Sanjay Garnaik (International Athletics Coach), Lotak Bindu Dash (International Volleyball Coach), and Baljit Singh Sekhon (International Shooting Official and Head of Delegation).
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the AIU, and the Odisha Government have extended their support to ensure Indian athletes are well prepared.
In Odisha, KIIT-DU leads with highest number of players (40) selected in various categories in the upcoming games, while one each from Utkal and Sambalpur Universities have been selected for the event. In all, 42 players are representing Odisha in Germany.
Similarly, Odisha is at the second state after Punjab to be sending the maximum number of players to the World University Games.
KIIT has been consistently performing well in various sporting events both at home and abroad. In the WUG at Chengdu, China in 2023, Olympian Dutee Chand (Sprinter) won Gold medal while Bhavani Devi was a stand-out athlete in Fencing in the 2023 edition. Several athletes like Manu Bhaker, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Swapnil Kusale won medals for India.
