Khelo India University Games 2025 To Be Held In Rajasthan This November: Sports Minister Mandaviya
Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday announced that Rajasthan will host the fifth edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025 in November. The Games will be jointly organised by Poornima University and Rajasthan University in Jaipur.
More than 4,000 athletes from over 200 universities across India are expected to take part in the Under-25 multi-sport event, which has become one of the flagship initiatives under the Khelo India program since its inception in 2020.
“I am extremely happy to announce that the Khelo India University Games will take place in Rajasthan in November 2025,” Dr. Mandaviya said. “These Games provide a national platform for our university athletes to showcase their talent in front of scouts and sports federations. This is a stepping stone for many young players aspiring to make it to the national and international level.”
The upcoming edition of KIUG will feature competitions in at least 20 sporting disciplines, continuing the tradition of previous editions. The announcement comes just months after the successful hosting of the Khelo India Youth Games (Under-18) in Bihar in May 2025.
Reflecting on the previous edition held in the Northeast, Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the Games’ growing impact on university-level sports in India. “Worldwide, university students dominate multi-sport events. In Rajasthan, we expect high-quality performances as the athletes will be at their competitive peak,” he added.
Recap of KIUG 2024
The KIUG 2024, hosted across seven northeastern states — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Tripura — saw around 4,500 athletes compete in 20 sports. A total of 770 medals were awarded over 11 days, including 240 gold, 240 silver, and 290 bronze.
Chandigarh University clinched the overall team championship, continuing its strong presence in university sports. Lovely Professional University finished second with 20 gold, 14 silver, and 8 bronze (42 total), while Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, came third with 12 gold, 20 silver, and 19 bronze (51 total).
Individual highlights from KIUG 2024 included swimmer Pratyasa Ray of Utkal University, who emerged as the most successful female athlete with four gold, one silver, and one bronze. The top male athlete was Xavier Michael Dsouza of Jain University, who bagged four gold medals in swimming.
Eight new records were set in athletics during KIUG 2024, five of them by male athletes, underlining the growing competitiveness and standard of university sports in India.
As the focus now shifts to Rajasthan, anticipation builds for another edition of intense competition, rising stars, and record-breaking performances at the Khelo India University Games 2025.
