The fifth Khelo India University Games will be held in seven cities of Rajasthan from November 24 to December 5, with beach volleyball, canoeing and kayaking, and cycling and kho-kho included in the KIUG programme for the first time. Competition will be held in 23 medal sports and one demonstration sport (kho-kho). Like the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar earlier this year, the University Games too will be spread across seven cities in Rajasthan – Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota, and Bharatpur.
More than 5,000 athletes are expected in the 12-day University meet. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, “The Khelo India University Games are a crucial link in India’s sporting pathway. Across the world, universities play a vital role in shaping champions, and KIUG provides our young athletes a platform to showcase their ability at a national level. “The Rajasthan edition will highlight India’s expanding sporting landscape and will be a stepping stone to glory for many who aspire to represent the nation globally.”
Adding further, Mandaviya said, “Under the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Khelo India initiative has created a robust ecosystem that encourages participation, talent development, and excellence.” “The University Games in Rajasthan will inspire thousands of students to pursue sports alongside academics and strengthen the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat through competition and camaraderie.”
The medal sports include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, fencing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi, mallakhamb, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, yogasana, cycling, beach volleyball, canoeing and kayaking. In the last Khelo India University Games held in Northeast India, Chandigarh University emerged champions. Lovely Professional University and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar finished second and third, respectively.
Rashid had become No. 1 for the first time in September 2018 and last occupied the position in November 2024. Seam bowler Azmatullah Omarzai has achieved a career-best 21st position after a 19-spot leap with seven wickets in the series while Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz (up four places to 24th) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (up 24 places to 67th) have also moved up the bowling rankings.
New high for Zadran In the batting rankings, Ibrahim Zadran has leapt eight places to reach a career-best second position after top-scoring with a total of 213 runs that won him the Player of the Series award. He has achieved the highest-ever batting rating by any Afghanistan player, surpassing Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 686 points achieved last November, and his second position is also the highest position by any ODI batter from his country. Rahmanullah (up two places to 16th) and the Bangladesh pair of Towhid Hridoy (up seven places to 42nd) and Mohammad Nabi (up six places to 50th) too have moved up the batting rankings.
