Big Day Ahead: India Gears Up for Day 3 with Crucial Matches and Medal Hopes at FISU World University Games 2025
As the sun rises over Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr region, Indian athletes face one of their busiest and most crucial days yet at the FISU World University Games 2025. From early morning swimming heats to late-night basketball clashes and swimming semifinals, India’s schedule today (19 July) is packed with over two dozen fixtures spread across swimming, fencing, taekwondo, table tennis, tennis, badminton, and basketball.
Here’s a look at what’s in store:
Morning Momentum: Swimming, Fencing and Taekwondo Kick Things Off
The day begins at 12:30pm with multiple Indian athletes taking the stage:
- In swimming, Subhrant Patra and Shoan Ganguly will compete in the men’s 200m butterfly heats, hoping to progress to the semifinals scheduled late tonight. Just minutes later, Pratyasha Ray will dive into the women’s 100m backstroke heat 2 at 12:52pm, while Aditya Dubey and Manikanta swim in men’s 200m breaststroke heat 2 at 1:08pm.
- In fencing, Abhinash, Sathvik, Ajaysinh and Harshil will battle in the men’s foil pool stage, aiming to advance to the knockout rounds and possibly the final.
- The taekwondo mats will see Himanshu in the men’s 68kg category, Aman Yadav (men’s 54kg) and Anika (women’s 46kg) fighting through the round of 32 to the final, alongside Payal who faces Portugal’s L. Reimao Correia in the women’s 57kg category at 1:00pm.
Table Tennis Women’s Team Eyes Semifinals
At 1:30pm, the Indian women’s team continues its spirited campaign, taking on Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinal. Having edged past France yesterday in a thriller, the team, led by Sayali Wani, hopes to keep the medal dream alive.
Tennis Begins Knockout Challenges
At the same time, Indian tennis players get their campaigns underway:
- Vaishnavi Adkar faces Finland’s Eala Ahti in the women’s singles round of 32 at 1:30pm.
Later in the evening, at 5:30pm, two crucial doubles ties:
- Kabir and Maan meet Germany in the men’s doubles round of 16.
- Soumya and Rutuparna take on Uzbekistan in the women’s doubles round of 32.
Basketball Double-Header and a Badminton Test
The Indian women’s basketball team takes the court against Argentina at 3:30pm in Group A, seeking a turnaround after earlier defeats.
Two major fixtures could shape India’s basketball journey:
- 6:05pm: Men’s quarterfinal play-ins vs Italy in Basketball 3×3
- 11:30pm: Group B match vs USA, a big test against one of the tournament’s strongest sides.
At 4:00pm, all eyes turn to the badminton courts as India faces the USA in the mixed team round of 16. Victory here could set up a quarterfinal clash against Malaysia a test of depth and strategy.
Evening Table Tennis Singles Battles
Starting at 5:30pm, Indian paddlers begin individual challenges:
- Taneesha Kotecha vs Mariam El Habech (Lebanon) and Suhana Saini vs Nigar Mahmudova (Kenya).
At 6:00pm, Sayali Wani meets China’s Zhao Shang, and Pritha Vartikar faces Emily Tan (USA).
Later in the night, men’s singles matches see Harkunwar Singh vs Urugcan Dursun (Turkey) at 7:00pm, and Chitwan Wadhwa vs Tilek Moldaliev (Kyrgyzstan) at 8:00pm.
Late Night Swimming: Hopes for Semifinals and a Final
Tonight, Indian swimmers could feature in key semifinals (subject to qualification):
- 10:44pm: Women’s 100m backstroke semifinals.
- 10:54pm: Men’s 200m butterfly semifinals.
- 11:33pm: Men’s 200m breaststroke semifinals.
The day’s swimming schedule also includes:
- 9:30pm: Mixed 4×100m medley heat 2.
- 12:22am: Mixed 4×100m medley final a chance for India to close the day on a high note.
Fencing & Taekwondo Continue into the Afternoon
At 3:30pm, Indian fencers Aakhri, Rishika, Jagmeet and Shreya Gupta compete in the women’s sabre pool stage, aiming to qualify for the knockout rounds and final.
Meanwhile, Aman Yadav (men’s 54kg) and Anika (women’s 46kg) aim to progress deep into the taekwondo draw starting at 1:54pm.
Key Storylines to Follow
- Can an Indian swimmers reach another final and perhaps add to national record tallies?
- Will the women’s table tennis team continue its winning streak and secure a semifinal spot?
- How far can the badminton mixed team go against USA and possibly Malaysia?
- Big tests await in basketball, with Italy and USA on the schedule.
- Young tennis players look to advance in singles and doubles rounds.
Today is one of the busiest days yet for Indian athletes at the FISU World University Games 2025, packed with crucial knockouts, qualification rounds, and potential medal events. From morning swimming heats to late-night finals, India’s athletes will compete across eight sports with the spotlight firmly on team events, swimming semifinals, and late-night basketball battles.
Stay tuned as India writes its next chapter at the Games chasing new records, medals, and moments of pride on the world stage.
