India’s packed day at the World University Games 2025: Swimming, athletics, racket sports, and more
The Indian contingent is set for one of its busiest and most diverse days at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games, with action spread across swimming, athletics, table tennis, taekwondo, fencing, tennis, basketball, and beach volleyball. Let’s take a closer look at what lies ahead for Team India today.
Swimming: Semifinals, heats, and national record chases
India’s swimmers headline today’s schedule with a series of high-stakes races, several of them subject to qualification. The evening session kicks off at 11:06 PM with the men’s 50m breaststroke semifinals, followed shortly by the women’s 50m backstroke and women’s 200m individual medley semifinals.
At 11:49 PM, Indian swimmers will look to qualify for the women’s 200m freestyle semifinals, before turning attention to the men’s side: the men’s 100m butterfly semifinals at 12:06 AM, where Indian hopefuls like Harshit Saroha and Benedicton Rohit aim to progress.
The night could end on a high if India makes it to the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final at 12:37 AM, capping off a marathon day in the pool.
Earlier in the day, swimmers like Vidith Shivashankar and Yadesh Babu feature in the men’s 50m breaststroke heats (1:22 PM), while Ashmita Chandra and Bhavya Sachdeva contest the women’s 200m freestyle heats from 1:09 PM. The men’s 100m butterfly heats at 12:30 PM include Harshit and Benedicton as they seek semifinal berths.
Athletics: Sprinters, jumpers, and throwers in action
In track and field, the spotlight falls on a busy evening for Indian athletes:
- At 9:35 PM, Moumita Mondal contests the women’s long jump qualification, followed by Abimanyu in the men’s discus throw Group A at 9:40 PM.
- The women’s shot put qualification starts at 11:50 PM, with Shiksha and Poorna Raorane representing India.
- Late night sprints see Gurindervir Singh (12:08 AM) and Manikanta Hobildhar (12:16 AM) in men’s 100m heats, and Abinaya Rajarajan (10:41 PM) and Maria Angel Silvia (10:50 PM) in women’s 100m heats.
- Earlier, at 6:30 PM, Ruchit Mori runs in the men’s 400m hurdles heat, while Ancy Sojan competes in the women’s long jump Group A at 7:00 PM.
Table tennis: Big draw for singles and doubles
The table tennis schedule starts from 12:30 PM, where Suhana/Harkunwar take on Taiwan in mixed doubles, and continues into the evening:
- Women’s doubles Round of 64: Taneesha Kotecha vs Uzbekistan pair and Suhana/Pritha vs Singapore pair at 7:00 PM.
- Men’s doubles: Harkunwar/Chitwan vs Korea (7:30 PM) and Ayaz/Devarsh vs Singapore (8:00 PM).
- Singles action sees Devarsh Vaghela and Ayaz Murad in group matches at 4:00 PM.
- Mixed doubles Round of 64 starts earlier at 2:00 PM: Suhana/Harkunwar vs Taiwan.
Tennis: Singles and mixed doubles hopes
Indian tennis players continue their campaigns:
- Women’s singles: Rutuparna & Soumya play Round of 32 consolation at 2:30 PM; Vaishnavi Adkar meets Kenya’s Angella Okutoyi in Round of 16 at 4:00 PM.
- Consolation rounds at 5:30 PM feature Shashank, Kabir, Maan Kesharwani & Atharva.
Team sports: Basketball and beach volleyball
In basketball, India plays two crucial matches:
- Women’s classification (13–16): India vs Chile at 8:30 PM.
- Men’s Group B: India vs Latvia at 6:00 PM.
In beach volleyball, Indian men’s pair Chetan/Abithan faces the Netherlands in Pool F at 9:40 PM, while the women’s duo Kanimozhi/Gowshika plays Lithuania at 1:20 PM.
Fencing and taekwondo: Knockout hopes
A packed day awaits India’s fencers and taekwondo athletes:
- Fencing: Men’s epee team meets Poland at 12:30 PM; women’s foil team faces Poland at 1:50 PM.
- Taekwondo: Shubham (Men’s 74kg), Rishta Dang (Women’s +73kg), Anushiya Premraj (Women’s 62kg), and Satvinder (Men’s 54kg) all compete in the Round of 32 starting from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM.
A day to watch
From medal chances in swimming and athletics to fighting for progress in racket sports and team games, 21 July promises to be an action-packed day for India at the World University Games 2025.
Fans can catch live updates and detailed schedules on platforms like IndiaSportsHub, and watch select events on FISU TV. All eyes will be on how many semifinals, finals, and maybe even medals Indian athletes can add to their campaign today.
