The fifth edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) will take place in Rajasthan from November 24 to December 5, 2025, with competitions scheduled across seven host cities – Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota and Bharatpur. The event will feature 23 medal sports and one demonstration sport (kho-kho), bringing together more than 5,000 university athletes from across the country.
Announcing the event, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said, “The Khelo India University Games are a crucial link in India’s sporting pathway. Across the world, universities play a vital role in shaping champions, and KIUG provides our young athletes a platform to showcase their ability at a national level. The Rajasthan edition will highlight India’s expanding sporting landscape and will be a stepping stone to glory for many who aspire to represent the nation globally.”
He added that under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Khelo India initiative has built a strong ecosystem that fosters participation, talent development and excellence. “The University Games in Rajasthan will inspire thousands of students to pursue sports alongside academics and strengthen the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ through competition and camaraderie,” he said.
The medal sports this year include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, fencing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi, mallakhamb, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, yogasana, cycling, beach volleyball, canoeing and kayaking. Kho-kho will be featured as a demonstration event. Notably, beach volleyball, canoeing and kayaking, and cycling are being introduced in the KIUG programme for the first time.
In the previous edition of KIUG held in the North East, Chandigarh University emerged as the overall champion, followed by Lovely Professional University and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.
The Khelo India Scheme is the flagship Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It serves as a key platform for spotting and nurturing sporting talent, providing pathways for young athletes to achieve excellence. Over the years, 20 editions of Khelo India Games have been organized across the country, including seven editions of the Youth Games, four of the University Games, five Winter Games, two Para Games, one Beach Games, and one Water Sports Festival.