World University Games 2025: India finish at 20th place with 12 medals

India ended its campaign at the World University Games 2025 in Rhine Ruhr, Germany, with a total of 12 medals—two gold, five silver, and five bronze—finishing 20th in the overall standings. This marked a significant decline from the 2023 edition in Chengdu, China, where India had achieved its best-ever finish of 7th place with 26 medals (11 gold, 5 silver, and 10 bronze).

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On the final day of the Games, India managed to secure three medals, including a bronze in the men’s 4x100m relay, with the team of Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Jayaram, Manikanta, and Animesh Kujur producing a spirited performance.

A Campaign Below Expectations

The 2025 edition of the Games was widely anticipated to be another milestone for India, especially after the stellar show in Chengdu. However, a combination of factors—including the absence of some top athletes, injuries, and inconsistency in key events—meant that the contingent could not replicate its past success.

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The two gold medals came from archer Priya Kumari, who continued her fine run from last season, and weightlifter Harshvardhan Singh, who produced a career-best lift to top the podium.

India’s five silver medals were spread across athletics, shooting, and wrestling, with athletes like Neha Thakur (wrestling) and Rohit Sinha (shooting) narrowly missing out on gold. The bronze medals included podium finishes in the men’s relay, women’s 800m, and mixed doubles badminton.

From Chengdu High to Rhine Ruhr Low

The stark difference in India’s performance between Chengdu 2023 and Rhine Ruhr 2025 has raised concerns within the sporting community. In Chengdu, India achieved an unprecedented medal tally—driven by a strong athletics contingent, exceptional wrestling performances, and surprise victories in shooting and archery.

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Experts point out that several medal hopefuls, including a few who graduated out of university-level competition, were missing from the squad. Moreover, some events saw a higher level of competition from nations like Japan, South Korea, and Germany, who brought stronger contingents this time.

Final Day Highlights

India’s final-day performance brought some consolation as three medals were added to the tally.

1. Men’s  The quartet of Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Jayaram, Manikanta, and Animesh Kujur clocked their season’s best to finish third.

2. Badminton Mixed Doubles Bronze: The pair of Aditi Sharma and Rohan Kapoor battled hard in the semifinals but settled for bronze.

3. Wrestling Silver: Neha Thakur, competing in the 57kg freestyle category, put up a valiant fight in the final but had to be content with silver.

Athletics: A Mixed Bag

Athletics, which brought India rich rewards in Chengdu, proved to be inconsistent in Rhine Ruhr. While there were standout performances like Anjali Verma’s silver in 800m and the relay team’s bronze, several athletes failed to progress beyond the heats in sprint and field events.

Coaches attributed the lack of medals to a compressed domestic calendar, which left athletes fatigued ahead of the Games.

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Shooting and Wrestling: Near Misses

Shooting, one of India’s strongest medal prospects, saw multiple close finishes. Rohit Sinha  and Ishita Kapoor both secured silver medals but fell short of the top spot by narrow margins.

Wrestling saw two medals—Neha Thakur’s silver and Arjun Yadav’s bronze —but was below the medal haul from Chengdu, where Indian wrestlers dominated several categories.

Voices From the Camp

Speaking after the final day, India’s Chef de Mission, Ravi Menon, said, “While we are happy with the individual performances of some athletes, the overall result is disappointing. We had set a target of finishing in the top 10, but the competition level was very high this year. We need to rethink our approach to preparation and athlete selection.”

Relay bronze medalist Lalu Prasad Bhoi said, “It feels great to win a medal for the country. We trained hard, but the competition was tough. We hope this motivates more university athletes to take up athletics seriously.”

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Looking Ahead

The decline in India’s performance will likely prompt the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) to review their athlete development programs.

Sports analysts believe that while India has depth in talent, lack of structured university-level competitions and limited international exposure for young athletes are key challenges.

Former Olympian and athletics coach Anju Bobby George remarked, “The University Games should be a stepping stone for athletes to graduate to senior-level competitions. We need to invest in training, sports science, and regular exposure trips. Otherwise, we will struggle to maintain consistency.”

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