KIUG 2025: Cyclist Meenakshi Rohilla Bags First Gold Of The Games; Lovely Professional University Starts With A Bang In Shooting (roundup)

KIUG 2025: Cyclist Meenakshi Rohilla bags first gold of the Games; Lovely Professional University st (Image Source: IANS)

Khelo India University Games Rajasthan: Guru Nanak Dev University cyclist Meenakshi Rohilla grabbed the first gold medal of the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025 in the women’s individual time trial here in Jaipur on Tuesday. Kajol Sargar of Shivaji University clinched the weightlifting gold in women’s 48kg and Lovely Professional University’s Sakshi Padekar won the women’s 10m Air Rifle gold as sports action began across multiple venues in the state on Tuesday.

With cycling making its debut in the Khelo India University Games, it was only befitting that the first gold went to a player who was also returning to road events after a long time.

Meenakshi, a 2022 Asian Championships bronze medallist in Team Pursuit, proved that she was a force even in road racing as she bagged the gold medal here with a well-calculated race strategy. She trains at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Patiala.

The 23-year-old was trailing local favourite Pooja Bishnoi of Maharaja Ganga Singh University for the first lap of 10 kms but gathered pace thereafter to finish the 30km Individual Time Trial with a timing of 00:45:31.907, averaging a speed of 39.5 km/hr.

“Today, my strategy was to stay patient, maintain my rhythm and not rush early. I focused on conserving energy in the beginning and gradually increased pace. Once I took the lead, my goal was to stay consistent and control the race. The strategy worked exactly as planned,” Meenakshi, who had been training for the time trials for the last three months, was quoted as saying by SAI Media.

“I used to compete in this event in the National events without any specific training. But this time it was a strategic move planned with my coaches to help me grow as an athlete and I am happy that I could win the gold here,” she added.

Bishnoi took home the silver medal with a time of 00:46:52.003 while Savitribai Phule Pune University’s Apurva Gore won the bronze medal with a time of 00:47:24.933.

Manav Sarda clinched the first gold medal for Maharaja Ganga Singh University in the men’s 40km Individual Time Trial with a dominant performance throughout. Averaging a speed of 46 km/hr, Sarda stopped the clock at 00:52:12.947 while Jai Dogra of Panjab University (00:53:14.315) and Gaurang Singh Gaur of Lovely Professional University (00:54:32:813) bagged the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

At the Jagatpura shooting range, Sakshi Padekar of Lovely Professional University bagged the women’s 10m Air Rifle gold with a final score of 253.2. Disha Dhankhar of Panjab University won the silver with 252 points while R Narmada Nithin of University of Madras won the bronze medal with a total of 230.5.

Sakshi had also topped the qualification round with a total of 633.5 and helped the University also grab the team gold along with Priyanka Das and Sanjeeta Das with a total of 1884 points.

In the weightlifting competition in Bikaner, Kajol Sargar of Shivaji University bagged the gold medal in the women’s 48kg category with a total of 158kg. The 19-year-old from Sangli, Maharashtra, who had won the Khelo India Youth Games gold in 2022, took a big lead in snatch as she lifted a 73kg in her second attempt, almost seven kilograms more than Chandigarh University’s Rani Nayak. She then lifted 85kg in Clean & Jerk to assure herself of the gold medal.

Rinki Nayak of Berhampur University topped the Clean & Jerk standing with a lift of 86kg in her third attempt to grab the silver medal with an aggregate of 149kg while Rani won the bronze with a total lift of 148kg.

The fifth edition of KIUG 2025 is being held across seven cities in Rajasthan and will witness 4448 athletes from 222 Universities compete in 23 medal disciplines. The Games are being held under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India in collaboration with the Rajasthan Government, the State Sports Council and is being hosted by Poornima University.

RESULTS

BADMINTON (ROUND OF 16):

Men: Panjab University bt Jadavpur University, WB 3-0; Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University bt Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya 3-0; Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University bt Andhra University 3-0; Chitkara University Punjab bt University of Delhi 3-0

CYCLING:

Women:

Individual Time Trial: Gold—Meenakshi (GNDU) 00:45:31.907; Silver – Pooja Bishnoi (MGSU) 00:46:52.003; Bronze: Apurva Gore (SPPU) 00:47:24.933

Men:

Individual Time Trial: Gold – Manav Sarda (MGSU) 00:52:12.947; Silver – Jai Dogra (PU) 00:53:14.315; Gaurang Singh Gaur (LPU) 00:54:32:813

FOOTBALL (GROUP STAGE)

Women:

Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu bt Goa University 1-0; University of Calicut bt Adamas University 5-0

HOCKEY

Women: MD University, Haryana bt Lovely Professional University 2-1; Guru Nanak Dev University bt The Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Sports University, Punjab 6-0

SHOOTING

WOMEN:

10m Air Rifle: Gold – Sakshi Padekar (LPU) 253.2; Silver – Disha Dhankhar (PUC) 252; Bronze – R Narmada Nithin (UM) 230.5

10m Air Rifle team: Gold – Lovely Professional University 1884; Silver – Panjab University 1878; Bronze – Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University – 1876.2

WEIGHTLIFTING

10m Air Rifle team: Gold – Lovely Professional University 1884; Silver – Panjab University 1878; Bronze – Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University – 1876.2

48kg: Gold: Kajol Sargar (SHU) 158kg; Silver: Rinki Nayak (BR U) 149kg; Bronze: Rani Nayak (CHU) 148kg.

Article Source: IANS