Jaipur, Nov 24 – Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya took the stage at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025 opening ceremony and urged the young athletes present to remember that they are “the hope of 1.4 billion Indians.”
He shared his view that the crowd of competitors is more than a sport event; it is the future of India’s athletic reputation on the world stage. “You will be the sporting heroes of tomorrow. You are the ones who will carry the nation’s tricolour to podiums across the world,” he said, thanking the participants, organisers, the Rajasthan ministers and everyone involved in sports administration.
In saying this, Mandaviya expressed confidence that university athletes will become the champions who’ll lift India’s flag in international competitions over the coming years. The games kicked off in style at the historic Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma officially opened KIUG 2025 in front of Dr Mandaviya, senior ministers, sports officials and enthusiastic fans.
This is the fifth edition of KIUG, run by the Sports Authority of India and supported by the Rajasthan government, the State Sports Council, the Association of Indian Universities and national sports federations. From November 24 to December 5, 4448 athletes from 222 universities will compete across 23 medal sports in seven Rajasthani cities. Kho‑kho will be demonstrated as part of the Ministry’s plan to promote indigenous games.
A total of 296 gold medals will be contested. In many countries, universities act as talent incubators – a model increasingly adopted in India. Mandaviya said KIUG will reinforce this system. “Lovely Professional University sent 11 athletes to Tokyo 2020 and 24 to Paris 2024,” he highlighted, “and when a single university accounts for 21 per cent of a national contingent, imagine what all universities together could achieve.”
He also noted that DAV College in Jalandhar has produced 27 Olympians and that Delhi University sent strong performers to Paris. “When universities produce Olympians, it shows we can become a global sporting superpower by 2047,” he added.
“Friends, at this moment 4.5 crore (45 million) young people are studying in universities across the country. For me, this is not just data – it is the greatest strength of New India, its greatest confidence, and its greatest competitive edge,” Mandaviya said. “Our universities are no longer just centres of learning; they are now the strongest engines of the country’s sporting revolution.”
He also praised India’s ancient educational heritage and legendary sportspersons: “We are the land of Takshashila and Nalanda Universities – but we’re also home to legends like Major Dhyan Chand, Milkha Singh, and Neeraj Chopra.”
The opening ceremony featured two international athletes – boxer Arundhati Chaudhary and compound archer Rajesh Chauhan – who presented the Viksit Rajasthan smart torch to Shri Sharma and Dr Mandaviya. The solar‑powered torch, equipped with a built‑in camera, had travelled across Rajasthan before reaching Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
CM Sharma thanked the Union sports ministry for awarding the 2025 games to Rajasthan, despite stiff competition from other states and union territories. “It’s a matter of great pride to host the Games and win the rights,” he said, paying tribute to Dr Mandaviya for helping realise PM Modi’s vision for a young India. He concluded, “We see PM Modi’s vision unfolding before our eyes. Khelo India is an equal‑opportunity platform where every athlete can showcase talent. Dreams keep the fire burning, and you have come here to challenge odds and learn from wins and losses.”
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