Cyclist Meenakshi Rohilla from Guru Nanak Dev University secured the inaugural gold medal in the women's individual time trial at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025, held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium complex on Tuesday. Jain University, led by Olympian swimmer Srihari Nataraj, took an early lead in the medal standings.

The fifth edition of KIUG 2025 is taking place across seven cities in Rajasthan, featuring 4,448 athletes from 222 universities competing in 23 medal events. The event is organized by the Sports Authority of India in partnership with the Rajasthan Government and the State Sports Council, with Poornima University serving as the host.

On the first day, 25 gold medals were available, and Jain University dominated by winning eight out of eleven swimming golds. They also secured two silver and four bronze medals, establishing a significant lead over Lovely Professional University, which earned two golds in shooting and two in weightlifting. Guru Nanak Dev University added three golds to their tally, with Mitvaben Chaudhari winning in women's Eppe and Aakhri in women's Saber, following Meenakshi's morning victory.

Olympian Srihari Nataraj excelled by winning two individual gold medals and leading Jain University to victory in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. He began his day with a gold in the men's 100m backstroke, clocking 58.25 seconds, and quickly followed with another gold in the 50m freestyle, finishing in 23.79 seconds.

Other gold medalists from Jain University included Bhavya Sachdeva (women's 400m freestyle), Shoan Ganguly (men's 200m IM), Manikanta L (men's 200m breaststroke), Nina Venkatesh (50m freestyle), and the women's 4x200m relay team.

Cycling made its debut at the Khelo India University Games, with Meenakshi securing the first gold medal. A bronze medalist at the 2022 Asian Championships in Team Pursuit, she showcased her skills in road racing, completing the 30km Individual Time Trial in 45 minutes and 31.907 seconds, averaging 39.5 km/h. 'My strategy was to stay patient and maintain my rhythm,' Meenakshi stated, reflecting on her training for the past three months.

Pooja Bishnoi from Maharaja Ganga Singh University earned the silver medal with a time of 46 minutes and 52.003 seconds, while Apurva Gore from Savitribai Phule Pune University took home the bronze in 47 minutes and 24.933 seconds.

Manav Sarda also made headlines by clinching the first gold for Maharaja Ganga Singh University in the men's 40km Individual Time Trial, finishing in 52 minutes and 12.947 seconds.

In shooting, Sakshi Padekar from Lovely Professional University won the women's 10m Air Rifle gold with a score of 253.2. Disha Dhankhar from Panjab University secured silver with 252 points, while R Narmada Nithin from the University of Madras took bronze with 230.5 points at the Jagatpura Shooting Range. Sakshi also topped the qualification round, contributing to her university's team gold alongside Priyanka Das and Sanjeeta Das.

In weightlifting, Kajol Mahadev Sargar from Shivaji University (women's 48kg), Golom Tinku from Lovely Professional University (men's 61kg), and Bornali Borah (women's 53kg) won gold medals at the Maharaja Ganga Singh University Indoor Hall. Kajol, overcoming a hip injury, lifted a total of 158 kg, while Golom's total of 256 kg secured his victory. Bornali lifted 168 kg to claim her gold.