BHUBANESWAR: Trailing by a gold on a penultimate day, Panjab University pugilists powered their team to the top of the medals tally, on the last day of the Khelo India University Games on Sunday. Panjab University and Savitribai Phule Pune University finished with 17 gold medals each. The former won 46 medals (19 silver, 10 bronze) as against the Pune contingent’s 37 (11 silver, 9 bronze) to be crowned champions. The second runners-up trophy went to Punjabi University of Patiala, who won 33 medals (13 gold, 6 silver, 14 bronze).
The closing ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries, led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, union sports minister Kiren Rijiju, IOA president Narinder Batra, Odisha sports minister Tusharkanti Behera and secretary-general of AIU, Pankaj Mittal. Patnaik expressed satisfaction in the way the state hosted the 10-day event. “I’m extremely glad that KIUG 2020 has been organised in such a smooth manner. I’m sure it will help young athletes in achieving great heights for the country,” he said.
“The first edition of the KIUG has been truly successful. All the participants gave their best and many of them have shown great potential,” said Rijiju.
“Our aim now is to organise the Khelo India University Games regularly and make it, along with the Youth Games, the platform that paves the way for our future Olympic medallists. Our aim is to get into the top 10 in the medals tally after the 2028 Olympics,” he added.
As many as 64 universities claimed at least one gold at the tournament, while 113 institutions returned with at least one medal to their names. Swimmers Sadhvi Dhuri (Savitribai Phule Pune University) and Siddhant Sejwal (Panjab University) were the most successful athletes, having five gold each to their names.