The Khelo India University Games (KIUG) Rajasthan 2025 opened with a vibrant ceremony at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Monday evening. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma declared the Games open in the presence of Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, senior officials, administrators and a large gathering of fans.
The fifth edition of the Games, held under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India in partnership with the Rajasthan government and the Association of Indian Universities, will run from November 24 to December 5 across seven cities. A total of 4,448 athletes from 222 universities will compete in 23 medal events, while kho-kho features as a demonstration sport. Poornima University is the host institution.
At the ceremony, Mandaviya said universities were emerging as key talent hubs for Indian sport. “What I see here are the hopes of 1.4 billion Indians. You are the sporting heroes of tomorrow,” he said, adding that India’s recent Olympic participation reflected the growing contribution of universities. He noted that Lovely Professional University sent 24 athletes to Paris 2024, while institutions such as DAV College Jalandhar and Delhi University have produced multiple Olympians.
The Sports Minister added that India’s 4.5 crore university students represented a major competitive advantage. “If we tap this potential, our universities can become engines of the country’s sporting revolution,” Mandaviya said.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister said the Games embodied Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of expanding opportunities for young athletes. “Khelo India is an equal platform where everyone can compete and showcase their talent,” he said.
Competition began on Monday with ranking rounds in recurve and compound archery and pre-quarterfinals in badminton. Panjab University’s Srishti Jaiwal topped the women’s recurve standings with 330 points, while Olympian Bhajan Kaur placed fourth. Guru Kashi University’s Rishabh Yadav led the compound men’s qualification with 358 points.
In badminton, the University of Mumbai beat Manipur University 3–0, and SRM University defeated Chaudhary Charan Singh University 3–0 in the men’s team pre-quarterfinals.