Jaipur, Nov 26: On a day packed with high-quality performances across Rajasthan, trap shooter Neeru Dhanda stole the spotlight by clinching her fourth consecutive gold medal at the Khelo India University
Games Rajasthan 2025 (KIUG 2025), while defending champions Jain University stayed firmly on top of the medal tally.
Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) also enjoyed a remarkable outing, sweeping all four shotgun medals and winning both road race golds in cycling.
The fifth edition of KIUG, spread across seven cities, has brought together 4448 athletes from 222 universities, competing in 23 medal disciplines under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India, the Rajasthan State Sports Council, and host Poornima University.
By the end of Day 3, Jain University continued to lead with 12 gold, 6 silver, and 7 bronze, followed by GNDU with 10 gold, and Lovely Professional University (LPU) in third place with 8 gold, bolstered by three wrestling titles.
Neeru Dhanda completes a rare four-peat in trap shooting
Asian Championships gold medallist Neeru Dhanda delivered yet another masterclass, winning the women's trap final with 47 points. Teammates Manisha Keer (39) and Nandika Singh (30) finished with silver and bronze, ensuring a GNDU sweep. The trio also secured the team gold with a combined tally of 344 points.
Reflecting on her fourth straight KIUG gold, Neeru said: "I was determined to win today as this is my last Khelo India University Games. Winning gold in all four editions feels special. "
In the men's trap final, Aditya Bharadwaj produced a confident performance to claim gold with 45 points, ahead of Punjabi University's Jungsher Singh Virk (43) and Manav Rachna's Bhaktiyaar Malik (34). GNDU also pocketed the men's team gold.
GNDU cyclists dominate road races
Earlier in the day, Meenakshi Rohilla added the women's road race gold to her time trial triumph, continuing her sensational form. In the men's race, GNDU's Akshar Tyagi crossed the line first, bringing GNDU's cycling gold tally to two for the day.
Swimming: Jain University extend lead; Chandigarh's Harsh Saroha stuns Srihari Nataraj
Jain University consolidated their top position thanks to four more gold medals in the pool, including victories in both the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relays.
- Nina Venkatesh added another gold in the women's 50m butterfly,
- Bhavya Sachdeva topped the women's 400m IM, giving the team a significant cushion at the top.
The biggest upset came in the men's 50m butterfly, where Chandigarh University's Harsh Saroha outpaced Olympian Srihari Nataraj, clocking 24.90s. Harsh capped off a fantastic day by also winning the 200m butterfly, while teammate Ishan Rathi claimed the 200m backstroke gold.
Wrestling: LPU shine; Rajasthan celebrate Sagar's gold
At Bharatpur's Loragarh Indoor Stadium, wrestlers delivered intense contests.
LPU collected three gold medals, continuing their strong tradition in the sport.
Hosts Rajasthan found golden delight as Sagar of Dr KN Modi University triumphed in the 97kg Greco-Roman category, defeating Guru Kashi University's Ritik. It marked Sagar's second KIUG gold, after winning the 130kg class in Kohima last year.
Results Summary
- Badminton: Chitkara University and Panjab University registered key wins.
- Cycling: GNDU dominated both men's and women's road races.
- Fencing: Universities from Manipur, Jammu, and GNDU shared the spoils.
- Rugby: Chandigarh University and University of Mumbai claimed big victories.
- Swimming & Shooting: Jain University and GNDU continued to strengthen their medal haul.
- Weightlifting & Judo: Strong performances from LPU, MDU, KIIT, and several state universities.
