The first two days of athletics action at the Khelo India University Games delivered a series of gripping contests, breakout performances, and multiple Games Records (GR) as emerging university athletes stepped up under pressure.
From fiercely contested middle-distance races to commanding throws and high-quality sprints, the momentum of this year’s edition has already underlined the depth of talent across campuses nationwide.
Race Walkers Set Early Benchmark
The 20km race walk events opened Day 2 with standout performances in both categories. In the men’s section, Rahul produced the performance of the morning, storming to gold in 1:25:43.00, setting not only a Games Record but also a personal best. His pace and control over the second half left the rest of the field trailing, with Suraj Yadav taking silver in 1:30:06.50, also a personal best. The event also saw disqualifications for Anshul and Sachin, reflecting the technical intensity of race walking at this level.
In the women’s 20km, Komal emerged dominant with a composed 1:43:54.60, finishing well clear of the field. Gayatri Chaudhari clocked a personal best of 1:46:08.40 to secure silver, while Mahima Choudhary completed the podium at 2:02:11.20.
High Jump Highlights Return of a Champion
One of the high points of Day 2 came in the women’s high jump, where Pooja made a remarkable return from injury. Clearing 1.77m, she set a new Games Record and asserted her class with a confident series of jumps. Khyati Mathur (1.71m) and Payalben Jamod (1.68m) pushed her through the early heights but couldn’t match the champion’s finishing quality.
The men’s 400m hurdles featured another Games Record as Ruchit Mori clocked a superb 51.00 seconds, powering through the final bend with a decisive burst. Two DNS results reduced the field, but Mori’s timing stood out as one of the sharpest performances of the day.
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In the women’s event, Deekshita Gouda held off a strong challenge from Megha M to win in 1:01.15, with Megha just a shade behind at 1:01.24.
Jumps and Throws Bring Big Distances
The men’s long jump saw Urvish Pokhriyal dominate with a top mark of 7.54m, followed by Anurag CV (7.39m) and Aman Singh (7.29m). In the women’s long jump, Deepanshi Singh delivered one of her best competitive showings, producing 6.20m for a personal best and the gold. S Sinchanam (6.05m) and Nimisha Dayma (5.54m) completed the podium.
The women’s javelin saw a standout effort from Deepika, who threw 55.53m to set a new Games Record, confirming her strong domestic form. Jyoti (51.70m) and Saloni (47.27m) took silver and bronze respectively. In the women’s hammer throw, Tanya Chaudhary delivered one of the most dominant wins of the competition, producing 64.29m, a personal best and a Games Record, beating the field by a massive margin.
The men’s discus finals saw Nagendra Annappa Naik take gold with 53.28m, followed closely by Arvind Sharma, who managed a personal best of 50.91m.
Middle-Distance Races Test Nerves
Arjun Waskale controlled the men’s 1500m final from the front pack, sealing gold in 4:05.92, with Nabeel Sahi and Gaurav rounding out the medals.
In the women’s 1500m, Nikita Sharma executed a perfectly timed move on the final lap to take gold in 4:33.61, holding off Ankita (4:34.97) and Amandeep Kaur (4:39.36). The 5000m races saw strong solo performances as Busra Khan won the women’s event in 18:15.27, while in the men’s race, Trilok Kumar cruised to gold in 15:06.16.
Strong Sprints and Relay Drama
The 100m finals produced sharp timings. S. Keerthana won the women’s sprint in a personal best 11.94s, while RuhiPrasad Desai took the men’s title with 10.53s, also a personal best. In the 400m finals, Manisha took the women’s race in 59.54, while SM Akash Raj impressed with a personal best of 47.48s in the men’s race.
The mixed 4x400m relay ended in a tight finish, with Panjab University taking gold in 3:29.86, narrowly edging out Lovely Professional University and Guru Nanak Dev University.
Across events, Day 2 underscored the rising depth of Indian university athletics with multiple Games Records, personal bests, and emerging stars shaping the competition’s early narrative.
