KIIT-DU Sends Record Contingent to 2025 World University Games in Germany
As the sun rose over Bhubaneswar on July 10, 2025, forty hopeful faces gathered at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Deemed-to-be-University (KIIT-DU)’s modern sports complex—each one driven by a simple dream: to represent their country, their university, and their families at the 2025 World University Games in Germany. For many of these student-athletes, the journey has been far more than training and trials. It has been about overcoming personal challenges, finding strength in community, and believing that sport can change lives.
Take Rupal, the dedicated 400-metre sprinter whose early mornings at the track were born out of a desire to break free from her small-town roots. Or Ankita Dhyani, who found purpose in the steeplechase after losing a dear friend to illness—each hurdle on the track a tribute to someone she loved. Jeswin Aldrin and Praveen Chithravel have leapt from modest beginnings, using every inch of sand in the long- and triple-jump pits to prove that talent paired with grit knows no bounds. And then there’s Animesh Kujur, who carries not just the national record in the 100-metre sprint, but the pride of an entire community cheering him on.
Behind these athletes stands a network of mentors who believe in them as fiercely as they believe in themselves. Arjuna Awardee Rahul Banerjee has seen young archers light up with confidence; Surinder Singh’s calm guidance has turned raw talent into national success; Sanjay Garnaik’s meticulous coaching has honed raw speed into Olympic-calibre performance. Volleyball coach Lotak Bindu Dash and shooting official Baljit Singh Sekhon round out a family of experts who have dedicated hours—and their hearts—to nurturing this new generation.
Dr. Achyuta Samanta, founder of KIIT-DU, often speaks of “Education with Sports” as more than a model—it’s a promise. “Every athlete here carries a story,” he says. “When you invest in their dreams, you invest in the resilience of our nation.” From state-of-the-art training facilities to personalized support for mental well-being, KIIT-DU has opened its doors and resources so that these young men and women can focus on what matters: competing with courage, learning with humility, and returning home stronger—not just in medal count, but in spirit.
This year’s Games will bring India’s brightest university athletes to the Rhine-Ruhr region and Berlin from July 16 to 27. Among more than 300 Indian participants from 61 universities, KIIT-DU’s 40-member squad is the largest ever sent by a single institution. Across trials that drew entries from over 400 universities, these students emerged not only as the fastest or the strongest, but as the most determined.
In Odisha, KIIT-DU’s achievement resonates deeply. The state will send 42 athletes in total—second only to Punjab—underscoring a collective belief that sport unites communities. As these athletes don the tricolour, they carry more than a flag; they carry the hopes of families, the pride of classmates, and the support of a nation that sees in them the power of dreams pursued with compassion.
When the final whistle blows or the last race ends, medals will matter—but so will the friendships forged, the barriers broken, and the stories of perseverance that travel home. For Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Deemed-to-be-University’s athletes, the World University Games are not just about victory on the field; they are about celebrating the human spirit in all its vulnerability, strength, and unshakeable hope.
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