The opening day of athletics at the Khelo India University Games set a strong tone for the competition, producing personal bests, Games Records and several tightly contested battles across track and field events.
With university athletes arriving from across the country eager to make their mark, Day 1 offered a glimpse into the rising depth of India’s collegiate talent. The day began with the long-distance finals, where pacing, patience and tactical discipline shaped the results. In the women’s 5000m, Busra Khan delivered a composed and confident run to clinch gold in 18:15.27. She stayed within the leading pack for much of the race before pulling away decisively in the final two laps.
Behind her, Rinkee Dhanya Pawara pushed strongly, finishing in 18:20.52, just a few seconds adrift in what became a two-way battle for gold after the third competitor did not start.
The men’s 5000m final followed a similar pattern of early consolidation before a clear breakaway. Trilok Kumar controlled the race from the bell lap onward to take gold in 15:06.16, turning the screw on the field with a strong final kilometre. Gaurav Yadav secured silver with 15:49.23, holding his form in the chasing group. With one DNS in the event, the race transpired as a head-to-head contest among the leaders, and Kumar’s finishing strength made the difference.
The hammer throw arena saw one of the most dominant performances of the day. Tanya Chaudhary produced a massive throw of 64.29m, registering both a personal best and a Games Record. Her series reflected consistent rhythm and power, leaving no doubts about her superiority. Haqikat Kaur Grewal took silver with 51.90m, while Amandeep Kaur earned bronze with a best of 45.06m. Tanya’s winning margin of more than 12 metres stood out as one of the most emphatic results of Day 1.
In the men’s discus throw, the title went to Nagendra Annappa Naik, who recorded a best distance of 53.28m, demonstrating clean technique and control at the front of the circle. Arvind Sharma was rewarded with silver and a personal best of 50.91m, while Harnoor Sandhu claimed bronze with 48.09m after a steady series. The event brought strong competition, with both Nagendra and Arvind pushing each other through the middle rounds.
The pole vault finals saw an intriguing contest as Aman Singh and Neeraj Kumar both cleared 4.50m. Aman secured the gold on countback with fewer earlier misses, while Neeraj settled for silver. The event also saw the disqualification of R. Ganesan and Avneesh Kumar, adding a layer of intensity to a discipline where precision is often as important as height cleared.
On the track, sprinters delivered clean and competitive races. The women’s 100m final saw S. Keerthana step up with a sharp run, clocking 11.94 seconds a personal best that underlined her current form. Teena Pareek followed in 12.18 seconds, and Samriti Jamwal completed the podium at 12.21 seconds. Keerthana’s explosive start and controlled transition phase proved decisive as she held her lead through the final 30 metres.
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The men’s 100m final was equally compelling. RuhiPrasad Desai claimed gold with a quick 10.53 seconds, a strong personal best that marked one of the standout performances of the day. Laukik Melge challenged him closely at 10.59 seconds, while Jai Bhoir took bronze in 10.86 seconds, also posting a personal best. The close timings highlighted the depth emerging in university sprinting.
In the women’s long jump, Deepanshi Singh delivered a big leap of 6.20m, a personal best that gave her a comfortable gold. S Sinchanam (6.05m) pushed her early in the series but could not match Deepanshi’s best. Nimisha Dayma secured bronze with 5.54m, rounding off an event that remained competitive until the later rounds.
The women’s shot put final saw Shiksha take gold with a strong 15.00m, maintaining consistency across her attempts. Jaskanwal Kaur produced a personal best of 14.95m, missing gold by just five centimetres in one of the closest field event finishes of the day. Simranjeet Kaur finished third with 13.89m.
The women’s 400m final saw Manisha take control from the back straight to win in 59.54 seconds, with the remaining two lanes marked as DNS, placing full focus on her solo execution under pressure.
Closing Day 1, the men’s 400m final provided a smooth and confident run from SM Akash Raj, who clocked a personal best 47.48 seconds, showing impressive composure over the final 100m. Abhimanyu Pandi finished second in 48.94 seconds, while the third lane did not start.
Overall, Day 1 of athletics at the Khelo India University Games showcased emerging competitors rising to the occasion through big distances, fast times and new records setting the stage for an exciting week ahead.
