KIUG 2025: KIIT’s Samardeep, Isha, men’s relay team light up last day of athletics

Jaipur: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology’s Samardeep Singh Gill improved on his own All India University (AIU) mark in men’s Shot Put while Isha Chander Prakash (women’s Heptathlon) and their men’s 4x100m eclipsed the meet records on the final day of athletics action in the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025 at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on Thursday.

The fifth edition of KIUG 2025 is being held across seven cities in Rajasthan. A whopping 4,448 athletes from 222 Universities are competing in 23 medal disciplines. The Games are being held under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India in collaboration with the Rajasthan State Sports Council and is being hosted by Poornima University.

With just one day of competition left, Chandigarh University extended their lead at the top of the medals table to 41 by bagging seven gold medals in Canoe and Kayaking on Thursday.

For full medals tally, log on to: https://university.kheloindia.gov.in/medal-tally

While Chandigarh University dominated the Canoe and Kayaking events, three new records were made in athletics to take the total to 12 over four days.

Shot putter Samardeep, who has beaten two-time Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor thrice this year, hurled the shot put to a distance of 19.42m on his second attempt to claim the gold medal, while the second place finisher Aniket of Guru Kashi University could only manage to clear a distance of 18.08m.

The previous AIU record (18.76m) and KIUG record (18.75m) holder, Samardeep has been in exceptional form this year throwing consistently above 19 metres and repeated that feat in Jaipur.

“I came here to perform for my University as I am doing my Masters of Physical Education from there. Before coming here I also had an ankle injury but I am happy to maintain my consistency here,” the 24-year-old, who registered his personal best of 19.82m in the National Inter-State Championships in Chennai earlier this year, told SAI Media.

Samardeep’s teammate, Isha Chander Prakash eclipsed the KIUG record in heptathlon with a score of 4857. Isha had taken a sizeable lead over her opponents after the first four events on Wednesday and maintained the advantage on Thursday to improve on the previous record by 109 points. The earlier record was held by Sonu Kumari of Lovely Professional University.

Olympian and 100m, 200m national record holder Animesh Kujur then ended the competition for KIIT on a high as he led his team to a new 4x100m meet record with a time of 40.09 seconds. Silver medal winners Mahatma Gandhi University also equalled the previous KIUG record of 40.76s, held by Mangalore University.

In Udaipur, Chandigarh University added seven gold medals on the last day of Canoe and Kayaking action at the Fateh Sagar Lake to finish with 23 gold, one silver and one bronze in the discipline. Guru Kashi University was the second best contingent with three gold medals, one silver and three bronze.

In the men’s football final at Poornima University, University of Calicut defeated Guru Nanak Dev University 5-4 in the shoot-out after a goal-less score-line in regulation time.

Tags : Khelo India University Games, Kalinga Institute, Jaipur