KIUG 2025: Srihari Nataraj ends campaign with nine titles
Jain University strengthened its lead at KIUG 2025 with dominant swimming performances, while world champion Aditi Swami secured compound archery gold.
Srihari Nataraj won 7 medals at 2025 Asian Aquatics C'ships
World champion archer Aditi Gopichand Swami added another major title to her growing list on Friday, winning the compound women’s individual gold at the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025.
Competing for Shivaji University, Aditi defeated Lovely Professional University’s Taniparthi Chikitha 147–143 in the final at the Jagatpura Archery Range, extending her unbeaten streak across Khelo India events.
Aditi, who has previously won gold at every Khelo India Youth Games she entered, said the platform has been crucial to her progression. “The Khelo India Games provided me the platform to experience how top level competitions are held and that helped me immensely when I went for international competitions,” she told SAI Media. She added that a strong performance at KIUG was important as she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where compound archery will make its debut.
At the SMS Swimming Pool, Olympian Srihari Nataraj and teammate Bhavya Sachdeva powered Jain University to a commanding finish in the pool. Jain won 27 gold medals in swimming and sit comfortably atop the overall medal standings with 45 medals. Srihari ended the Games with nine gold and two silver medals, clinching the 100m freestyle (52.30s), 50m backstroke (26.53s) and anchoring the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
Lovely Professional University remain second in the overall standings with 22 gold medals, while Guru Nanak Dev University are third with 21 golds. GNDU also dominated track cycling, winning team sprint titles in both men’s and women’s events along with the women’s team pursuit.
In Bharatpur, local favourite Khushi delivered Dr KN Modi University its second gold of the Games with victory in the women’s 68kg freestyle wrestling. The day also saw Shalina Sayer Siddhi of Karnatak University claim bronze in women’s 57kg freestyle, a significant result for the Siddi community.
KIUG 2025 features 4,448 athletes from 222 universities competing across 23 sports in seven cities in Rajasthan.
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