The Selection Trials and Coaching Camp of Indian University Teams for 32nd FISU World University Games, Rhine-Ruhr, Germany to be Held at KIIT University

KIIT University, a pioneer in promoting sports and nurturing athletic talent, has been chosen as the venue for the prestigious Selection Trials and Coaching Camp for Indian Universities’ Athletics, Archery, Tennis and Volleyball teams (both Men and Women) for participation in the 32nd FISU World University Games 2025. The event will be held in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, from 16th to 27th July 2025, and KIIT University will play a pivotal role in preparing the Indian contingent for this global multi-sport extravaganza.

The Selection Trials will commence on 25th March 2024 and continue until 10th April 2024, followed by an intensive two-month coaching camp at KIIT University. The camp will conclude just before the departure of the Indian University Team for Germany.

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games will be hosted across six German cities: Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Hagen, and Berlin. This edition of the Games will witness participation from around 8,500 student-athletes and officials from over 150 countries, competing in 18 sports. The event is one of the largest multi-sport gatherings in the world and will feature a mix of compulsory and optional sports, including:

• Compulsory Sports: Archery, Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Diving, Fencing, Judo, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Swimming, Taekwondo, Tennis, Table Tennis, Volleyball, and Water Polo.
• Optional Sports: 3×3 Basketball, Beach Volleyball, and Rowing.
• Historic Inclusion: For the first time, 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball will be part of the programme.

KIIT University will provide world-class facilities for the Selection Trials and the subsequent Coaching Camp. The university’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and commitment to sports excellence make it an ideal venue for preparing the Indian contingent.

The Selection Trials and Coaching Camp will be overseen by a team of renowned coaches and sports personalities, including:

• Athletics: Sri Sanjay Garnaik, International Athletics Coach.
• Archery: Arjuna Awardee Sri Rahul Banerjee, Olympian, International Archery Coach, Arjuna Awardee Ms. Dola Banerjee, Olympian Sri Rajesh Hasdak, International Archery Coach;
• Tennis: Mr. Todd Clark, Australian Tennis Coach.
• Volleyball: Dronacharya Awardee Sri GE Shridharan, International Volleyball Coach.

While KIIT University will host trials and camps for Athletics, Archery, and Tennis Volleyball, other sports will be conducted at various locations across India:

• Basketball: Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.
• Judo, Fencing, Rowing: Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Rohtak.
• Swimming: Jain University.
• Beach Volleyball: SRM and IMAT University.

Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS, and KIMS, reassured his unwavering support for the initiative. He emphasized KIIT’s commitment to providing all necessary facilities and resources to ensure the Indian team’s smooth participation and success at the World University Games.

Prof. Baljit Singh Sekhon, Joint Secretary (Sports), Association of Indian Universities (AIU), expressed his gratitude to Prof. Achyuta Samanta and KIIT University for their continuous support. He highlighted the Indian contingent’s remarkable performance at the 2023 Chengdu World University Games, where India secured 11 Gold, 5 Silver, and 10 Bronze medals, finishing 7th out of 113 participating countries —an achievement that was praised by Hon’ble Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and even discussed in the parliament. Notable athletes like Jyothi Yarraji, Olympian, Manu Bhaker, Olympian (Won 2 Medal at Paris Olympics), Amlan Borgohain, Priyanka Goswami, Olympian, Tejaswin Shankar, and Srihari Nataraj were among the stars who brought glory to the nation.

Dr. (Mrs.) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of AIU, and Prof. Vinay Kumar Pathak, President of AIU, extended their thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of Sports, Sports Authority of India (SAI), and all participating universities for their collective efforts in achieving these milestones. They expressed confidence in surpassing the 2023 medal tally and making the nation proud once again.

With the combined efforts of KIIT University, AIU, and the Government of India, the Indian contingent is poised to deliver an outstanding performance at the 2025 FISU World University Games. The nation eagerly awaits another chapter of sporting excellence and medal-winning achievements on the global stage.

Last year Indian University Contingent Photo Leading  by Ms. Manu Bhaker, Olympian, Who won 3 Medal at the Last year world University Games at Chengdu China