Day of Highs and Lows: Indian Athletes Battle Across Events at the Rhine-Ruhr FISU World University Games 2025
The opening day of athletics and multisport action at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games proved to be an intense blend of promise, heartbreak, and a few memorable breakthroughs for the Indian contingent. From the morning’s swimming heats to the late-night drama on the athletics track and field, India’s young athletes experienced nearly every shade of sporting emotion across multiple venues in Bochum and beyond.
Early Morning: Swimmers Lead the Charge
The day began in the pool with men’s 100m butterfly heats, where Benedicton Rohit, one of India’s most promising swimmers, clocked 53.85s to place second in his heat. Though it was a respectable time, it fell short of the semifinal cut of 53.27, placing him 22nd overall. His compatriot, Harsh, topped his heat with 56.05s but placed 47th among 57 swimmers. Earlier, Harsh’s heat-topping effort briefly sparked hopes of a surprise progression, but the broader field’s strength ultimately prevailed.
In the women’s 200m freestyle, Bhavya clocked 2:08.88, finishing 36th, while Ashmita posted 2:13.93 to win her heat yet ended up 39th overall in a field of 47. Neither swimmer advanced to the semifinals, but the morning’s swims reflected steady effort from India’s young squad.
Mixed Results in Taekwondo and Fencing
The mid-morning sessions saw India’s Taekwondo athletes wrap up a tough day. Shubham and Satvinder bowed out in the Round of 32, while Anushriya narrowly lost 1-2 to Ukraine’s Anna. Rishita Dang managed to win her opening match against Lebanon’s Celine, but later exited in the Round of 16 against a Polish opponent after the referee stopped the contest.
In fencing, the men’s epee team fought valiantly but lost to Poland 33-45, and soon after, the women’s foil team suffered a similar fate, falling 18-45 to the Polish team. Despite a few flashes of sharp attacking play, the gulf in experience and depth proved decisive.
Table Tennis Battles and Close Calls
India’s table tennis teams also faced challenging draws. The mixed doubles pair of Suhana and Harkuwar fell to Chinese Taipei 0-3. Later, the women’s doubles team of Suhana & Pritha lost 1-3 to Singapore in the Round of 64. However, Sayali & Taneesha provided a bright spot by defeating Uzbekistan in the same round, moving into the next stage.
In men’s singles, Ayaz lost a close five-game battle against Saudi Arabia’s Turki (13-11, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 6-11), while Devarsh was outplayed 0-3 by his Japanese opponent.
Beach Volleyball and Basketball: Tough Outings
India’s women’s beach volleyball team opened their campaign with a defeat against Lithuania in the group stage. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team faced Latvia in their final group match after previous losses to USA and Romania. The Indian side delivered its best scoring quarter of the tournament, netting 20 points in Q2, yet ultimately fell 55-114, ending their campaign.
Athletics: From Personal Bests to Heartbreaks
The evening brought the first track and field events, headlined by Ruchit Mori in the men’s 400m hurdles. Ruchit delivered a standout performance, clocking a lifetime best of 50.58s to qualify as the 10th fastest for the semifinals. It was a morale-boosting start for India’s athletics campaign.
In the women’s long jump qualification, Ancy Sojan kept Indian hopes alive with a clutch final attempt of 6.20m, finishing 10th overall and earning a place in the final. Earlier, she had opened with a foul and then jumped 5.57m, putting immense pressure on her last effort. Moumita Mondal, competing in the same event, managed only 6.00m and missed the cut, finishing 20th.
Mixed Fortunes in the Throws
India had two entrants in the men’s discus throw qualification. Abhimanyu began well with a 52.85m effort, placing himself just inside the qualifying mark for the final scheduled the next day. His teammate Alex had a tougher outing, opening with 47.14m, then recording 46.52m and finally 46.24m, failing to reach the final.
In women’s shot put, Shiksha achieved a best attempt of 15.27m, placing 15th overall, while Poorna finished 21st with a throw of 14.25m. Neither could secure a spot in the final despite consistent attempts.
Sprint Hurdles and 100m: Close but Not Enough
On the track, Manikanta clocked 12.74s in the men’s 100m hurdles, missing the semifinal cut by 0.4s. His performance raised questions, particularly around why teammate Animesh, a strong contender, did not participate in the event.
In the men’s 100m, Gurindervir Singh, usually capable of sub-10.5s runs, surprisingly clocked 11.00s, falling short of the times needed to advance. The high altitude and late-night conditions might have contributed, but the timing remained well below his usual standards.
In contrast, Abinaya Rajarajan shone in the women’s 100m heats, running into a strong headwind of -3.2m/s to clock 11.88s and finish second in her heat, comfortably moving into the semifinals. Angel Mariya ran 12.05s to finish 26th overall, and although she missed the semifinals, it was a respectable effort. Earlier, Ancy had already secured her long jump final berth.
Tennis: Hope from Vaishnavi Adkar
On the tennis courts, Vaishnavi Adkar advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight-sets win (6-3, 6-4) over her Kenyan opponent, Angella Okutoyi, a junior Grand Slam champion. The win was a highlight, and she now faces Germany’s Sina Hermann in the last eight.
Table Tennis Doubles: Final Evening Matches
In men’s doubles, Ayaz & Devarsh overcame Oman in straight games (13-11, 14-12, 11-8) to move forward, though Chitwan & Harkuwar lost to Korea’s Cho/Yun. Despite the defeat, the pair battled well against a stronger side.
The day ended with both promise and frustration: finals qualifications in discus (Abhimanyu) and long jump (Ancy), personal bests from Ruchit, and a quarterfinal run in tennis from Vaishnavi, balanced by early exits, fouls, and missed opportunities elsewhere.
India’s athletes showed flashes of potential, resilience under pressure, and signs that with sharper execution and consistency, deeper runs are possible as the Games continue. As day two beckons, the Indian contingent will hope to convert these near-misses into podium finishes and continue building momentum on European soil.
