A 300-member contingent of Indian student-athletes is set to carry the national flag at the FISU World University Games 2025, which kicks off Wednesday in Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr region and runs through July 27.
Dubbed the “Olympics for university athletes,” the prestigious event gathers top talent from universities worldwide every two years, offering athletes aged 17 to 25 a shot at international glory.
Largest World University Games in History
This year’s Games are poised to be the biggest yet, featuring over 9,200 athletes from around 150 countries, marking a new milestone for the event’s scale and global reach.
India, which has been participating in the Games since their inception in 1959, will be keen to improve on its performance from the last edition held in Chengdu, China, in 2023. At those Games, the Indian squad achieved its best-ever showing, finishing seventh overall with 26 medals — including 11 gold, five silver, and 10 bronze.
Shooting Stars Lead India’s Medal Hopes
Much of India’s medal success in Chengdu came from shooting, which contributed 14 of the total medals, with eight of them gold.
Among the standout performers were Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, who clinched four medals, and shooter Manu Bhaker, who won two golds in pistol events. Bhaker went on to secure two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, underscoring her consistent form.
Track and field athletes Jyothi Yarraji, Amlan Borgohain, and race walker Priyanka Goswami also delivered significant podium finishes in Chengdu, raising hopes for more athletics success in Rhine-Ruhr.
Competitions Across Six German Cities
The 2025 edition, which will be the 32nd in the Games’ history, will unfold across 23 venues in six German cities: Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Hagen, and Berlin.
The sporting programme features 18 disciplines, including:
- Archery
- Artistic gymnastics
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Diving
- Fencing
- Judo
- Rhythmic gymnastics
- Swimming
- Table tennis
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Water polo
- 3×3 basketball
- Beach volleyball
- Rowing
With India fielding one of its largest contingents ever, expectations are high for the team to deliver an even stronger medal haul and make its presence felt on the global university sports stage.
