India concluded its World University Games 2025 campaign in Rhine Ruhr, securing a 20th-place finish with a total of 12 medals.
India’s Medal Tally
The Indian contingent wrapped up the World University Games with a total of 12 medals. This impressive haul included two gold medals, five silver medals, and five bronze medals.
However, this performance marks a significant decline compared to the previous edition in Chengdu, China. In 2023, India finished an impressive seventh in the medal tally, securing 26 medals in total, which included 11 gold, 5 silver, and 10 bronze.
Final Day Highlights
The final day of the Games saw India add three more medals to its tally. Steeplechaser Ankita Dhyani shone brightly, clinching a silver medal in the women’s 3000m event.
The men’s 4x100m relay quartet also made their mark, bagging a bronze medal. Additionally, the trio of Munita Prajapati, Mansi Negi, and Sejal Singh secured a bronze medal in the women’s 20km team racewalk.
Ankita Dhyani’s Stellar Performance
Ankita Dhyani, a 23-year-old social sciences student, delivered a remarkable performance in the 3000m steeplechase. She shaved nearly seven seconds off her personal best time, finishing just milliseconds behind Finland’s Ilona Maaria Mononen to claim silver.
Ankita maintained a strong position within the top five throughout the race. Her breathtaking sprint in the final 300 meters nearly secured the gold, missing out by a mere 0.13 seconds.
Relay Team Success
The men’s 4x100m relay team, comprising Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar, and Mrutyam Jayaram, clocked an impressive 38.89 seconds to secure their bronze medal. South Korea won gold, with South Africa taking silver in this event.
While other Indian relay teams showed good efforts, they narrowly missed out on medals. The women’s 4x400m relay team finished fifth with a season’s best time, and the men’s 4x400m relay quartet also secured a fifth-place finish.
Indian Medallists at World University Games 2025
- Gold Medals: Parneet Kaur-Kushal Dalal (Mixed team compound archery), Sahil Jadhav (Men’s compound archery)
- Silver Medals: Parneet Kaur (Women’s compound archery), Kushal Dalal, Sahil Jadhav, Hritik Sharma (Men’s team compound archery), Praveen Chithravel (Men’s triple jump), Seema (Women’s 5000m), Ankita Dhyani (Women’s 3000m steeplechase)
- Bronze Medals: Badminton Mixed Team, Vaishnavi Adkar (Women’s singles tennis), Parneet Kaur, Avneet Kaur, Madhura Dhamangaonkar (Women’s compound team archery), Sejal Singh, Munita Prajapati, Mansi Negi (Women’s 20km racewalk team), Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar, Mrutyam Jayaram (Men’s 4x100m relay)
India’s performance at the World University Games 2025 provides valuable insights as the nation continues to develop its sporting talent on the international stage.
