Swimming Star Bhavya Sachdeva Shines with Golden Double
JAIPUR: The fourth day of the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025 witnessed exceptional performances across multiple sports disciplines, with swimmer Bhavya Sachdeva from Jain University emerging as the standout athlete. The talented swimmer achieved a remarkable golden double in individual events and added another gold in the women's 4x100 medley relay, bringing her overall medal count to an impressive seven at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium complex on Thursday.
Bhavya, who had already secured one individual and one relay gold during the first two days of competition, began her gold medal spree on Thursday in the women's 800m freestyle category, clocking 9:37.41 seconds. The athlete, who earlier this year became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Asian Aquatic Championships, demonstrated her exceptional stamina by returning to the pool just minutes later to claim the 200m freestyle event with a timing of 2:13.55 seconds.
University Dominance in Pool Events
Jain University swimmers demonstrated their supremacy in the aquatic events, capturing eight of the eleven gold medals available. This impressive haul elevated their overall gold medal count to twenty. Meanwhile, Guru Nanak Dev University and Lovely Professional University engaged in a tight competition for the second position in the medals tally.
Lovely Professional University strengthened their position by securing three gold medals in archery and one in shooting, bringing their total gold count to thirteen. Guru Nanak Dev University maintained their edge with fourteen gold medals overall, having swept all three team gold medals in fencing and adding another in shooting on Thursday.
Archery and Shooting Excellence
In archery events at the Jagatpura Sports Complex, Anshika Kumari and Devaang Gupta showcased their skills by winning the recurve women's and men's finals respectively. Anshika defeated Panjab University's Srishti Jaiswal 6-2 in the women's final, while Gupta overcame Shivaji University's Sahil Shelar 6-4 in the men's competition. Both athletes later returned to lead their university to team gold medals in the evening sessions.
The Lovely Professional University women's team dominated Kurukshetra University with a 6-0 victory, while the men's team defeated Shivaji University 6-2. However, the pair faced disappointment in the Recurve Mixed Team final, losing in a tiebreaker against Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya's Kartika Bichpuriya and Deepanshu Nanda.
In shooting events, Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu of Lovely Professional University secured the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol gold with a final score of 29, narrowly defeating Panjab University's Devansh Vashishtya by a single point. Meanwhile, Yash Vardhan claimed the first gold medal of the Games for Manipal University, Rajasthan in the men's 10m Air Rifle event with a score of 252.7 in the final.
Weightlifting Breakthroughs in Bikaner
The weightlifting competitions in Bikaner saw Logeswaran S deliver an outstanding performance on Day 3, securing his first-ever KIUG gold medal. Representing Thiruvallur University, the Tamil Nadu-born lifter dominated the men's 79kg category with a total lift of 305kg — comprising 135kg in Snatch and 170kg in Clean & Jerk — marking a significant achievement in his third KIUG appearance.
The afternoon session featured an intensely competitive men's 88kg category, where Parikshit Soni of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya emerged victorious with a total lift of 278kg (127kg Snatch; 151kg Clean & Jerk). He narrowly defeated Andhra University's M Tarun, who finished with 276kg (126kg Snatch; 150kg Clean & Jerk), while Guru Kashi University's Vivek secured bronze after lifting 273kg (121kg Snatch; 152kg Clean & Jerk).
The Khelo India University Games, organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India, represent the country's largest university-level multi-sport event. The fifth edition hosted by Rajasthan continues to build on the initiative's legacy of identifying and nurturing young sporting talent while providing a national platform for athletes to compete and excel.
