The Khelo India University Games, KIUG 2025 saw intense competition on the piste and at the shooting range, with universities delivering standout performances in fencing and women’s 10m air rifle events.
Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) asserted near-total dominance in fencing, sweeping multiple podiums across women’s épée and sabre, while Lovely Professional University (LPU) produced a star performer in shooting, claiming both individual and team honours. These results underline two emerging themes at this year’s Games: GNDU’s growing reputation as a fencing powerhouse and LPU’s sustained excellence in precision sports like shooting.
Fencing: GNDU’s Commanding Display Across Épée, Sabre and Men’s Foil
Fencing proved to be one of GNDU’s strongest events of the day. Their athletes combined tactical discipline, superior footwork, and controlled aggression to deliver medal-heavy outcomes.
Women’s Épée: A GNDU 1–2 Finish
The women’s épée event became a showcase of GNDU’s depth as Mitvaben Chaudhari clinched gold, while teammate Tanuja took silver. Both fencers displayed sharp distance control, effectively neutralizing aggressive opponents with timely counter-attacks.
The two bronze medals went to:
- Yashkeerat Hayer (Panjab University)
- Dnyaneshwari Shinde (SRTM University)
Both bronze medallists fought tough semi-finals but were unable to break the GNDU stranglehold in the closing stages.
Women’s Sabre: Another Gold for GNDU, But a Wider Podium Spread
In sabre known for its speed and explosiveness Aakhri of GNDU powered her way to gold with strong attacking priority and quick execution. Her teammate Shreya Gupta secured silver, ensuring another GNDU 1–2 finish.
The bronze medals were claimed by:
- Beni Quebha MR (Punjabi University)
- Laishram Abi Devi (LPU)
Both fencers displayed resilient performances in the early rounds and brought variety to the podium, preventing another GNDU sweep.
Men’s Foil: Guru Kashi University Strikes Gold
The men’s foil final added a competitive twist to the fencing events, as K Abhinash of Guru Kashi University outclassed his opponents to win gold. His technical precision and blade discipline stood out against a strong field.
Harshil Sharma (GNDU) claimed silver, continuing the university’s consistent presence across events.
Bronze medals went to:
- Shaker Sayyad (BAMU)
- Shubham (GNDU)
This event showcased a wider distribution of fencing talent beyond GNDU, adding competitive balance to the overall fencing programme.
Shooting: LPU’s Sakshi Padekar Shines with Precision Under Pressure
At the Jagatpura Shooting Range, the contest for the women’s 10m air rifle title put India’s top university shooters in the spotlight. Precision, consistency and nerves under pressure made the difference.
Women’s 10m Air Rifle: Sakshi Padekar Tops a Tight Final
Sakshi Padekar (Lovely Professional University) delivered a poised and technically sound performance to clinch gold with a score of 253.2. Her consistency across the elimination rounds and ability to close strongly under pressure marked her as one of LPU’s standout athletes.
The silver medal went to Disha Dhankhar of Panjab University, who scored 252, pushing Sakshi until the final series. R. Narmada Nithin (University of Madras) secured bronze with 230.5, rounding off a competitive final.
Team 10m Air Rifle: LPU Complete a Clean Sweep
LPU continued their dominance in shooting by winning the team gold with a total of 1884 points. Their depth supported by strong qualifying scores proved decisive in the team event.
Team podium:
- Gold: Lovely Professional University – 1884
- Silver: Panjab University – 1878
- Bronze: Solapur University – 1876.2
The narrow margin between silver and bronze reflected the high level of competition among the top university shooting squads.
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The day’s fencing and shooting results underscored the varied sporting strengths of India’s university system. GNDU’s control over fencing events reaffirmed their technical mastery and strong grassroots programme. Meanwhile, LPU’s performances at the shooting range highlighted their well-established training culture and ability to nurture precision talent.
As KIUG 2025 progresses, these universities have positioned themselves as early leaders in their respective disciplines, setting the stage for intense battles ahead across multiple sporting arenas.
