World Champion Archer Continues Dominant Run at Khelo India University Games
World champion archer Aditi Gopichand Swami maintained her perfect record in Khelo India competitions by securing the gold medal in the women's compound individual event during Day 5 of the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025. The event took place at the Jagatpura Archery Range in Jaipur on Friday, where the nineteen-year-old phenom from Shivaji University demonstrated why she remains one of India's most promising archery talents.
Archery Excellence and Olympic Dreams
In a thrilling individual final, Aditi defeated Taniparthi Chikitha of Lovely Professional University with a score of 147-143 to claim the top spot on the podium. This victory marks another significant achievement for the young archer, who has now won gold medals in every Khelo India Youth Games she has participated in.
The champion archer shared her thoughts after the victory, stating, "The Khelo India Games provided me the platform to experience how top-level competitions are held and that helped me immensely when I went for international competitions. My form has been a bit indifferent in the last few months and I was keen on performing well here as I am looking forward to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where Compound Archery has also been included."
Jain University's Swimming Dominance
While Aditi showcased her archery prowess, Jain University established itself as the undisputed leader in swimming competitions. The Bangalore-based institution, led by Olympian Srihari Nataraj and Bhavya Sachdeva, concluded their swimming campaign with an impressive haul of 27 gold medals, along with 9 silver and 9 bronze medals.
On the final day of swimming events, Jain University demonstrated their superiority by winning seven out of nine available gold medals. Srihari Nataraj emerged as the star performer, securing gold in both the 100m freestyle with a time of 52.30 seconds and the 50m backstroke with 26.53 seconds. The Olympian further contributed to his team's success by participating in the 400m medley mixed relay, finishing the Games with an impressive personal tally of nine gold and two silver medals.
Jain University currently leads the overall medal standings with 45 medals total, establishing a significant lead over other participating institutions.
Medal Standings and Other Notable Performances
The competition saw strong performances from multiple universities across various disciplines. Lovely Professional University secured the second position with 22 gold medals, while Guru Nanak Dev University claimed third place with 21 gold medals.
In cycling events, Guru Nanak Dev University cyclists displayed remarkable skill, winning both the men's and women's team sprint gold medals. The university also secured gold in women's team pursuit, with Barsarani Barik adding another gold in the women's 500m individual time trial, clocking an impressive 00:38.535 seconds.
The wrestling competitions in Bharatpur witnessed Lovely Professional University emerging as the most successful institution with six gold medals, despite not winning any gold on the final day of wrestling events. The university had to settle for three silver medals on Friday but still finished as the top-performing university in wrestling.
Among other notable achievements, local university Dr KN Modi University celebrated its second gold medal thanks to Khushi's victory in the women's 68kg freestyle wrestling category. Another inspiring story came from Shalina Sayer Siddhi from the Siddi community, representing Karnataka University, who won a bronze medal in the women's 57kg freestyle. This victory highlights the inclusive nature of the Khelo India initiative, as the Siddi community has African origins and has been living in India for centuries.
Games Scale and Participation
The fifth edition of Khelo India University Games 2025 represents one of the largest sporting events in the country, featuring 4,448 athletes from 222 universities competing across 23 medal disciplines. The games are spread across seven cities in Rajasthan and are organized under the guidance of the Sports Authority of India in collaboration with the Rajasthan State Sports Council, with Poornima University serving as the host institution.
The extensive participation and high-level competition demonstrate the growing importance of the Khelo India initiative in identifying and nurturing sporting talent across the country, providing young athletes with crucial competitive experience as they prepare for international events, including future Olympic Games.
