Chandigarh University is overall winner in Khelo India University Games 2024

Dara Singh Chahal

Guwahati, 1st Mar 2024: Chandigarh University topped the KIUG 2024 medal table with 32 gold medals, 18 silvers and 21 bronze. Get the full KIUG 2024 medal tally.The Khelo India University Games 2024, held across the seven north-eastern states of the country, concluded on February 29 with Chandigarh University winning their maiden KIUG title.

Chandigarh University claimed the title with a haul of 32 gold medals. They also won 18 silvers and 21 bronze for a total of 71 medals. As per the KIUG format, the team with the most gold medals wins the team title.

Chandigarh University finished 34th in the first edition in Odisha and 20th in the second edition. At the last edition in Uttar Pradesh, they came 11th.

Lovely Professional University came second at KIUG 2024 with 20 gold, 14 silver and eight bronze for a total of 42 medals while Amritsar’s Guru Nanak Dev University were third with 12 gold, 20 silver and 19 bronze for a tally of 51. Guru Nanak Dev University were the only contingent apart from the champions to cross the 50-medal mark.

The KIUG is conducted under the Indian government’s Khelo India initiative, which promotes and encourages sports at the grassroots level. This was the fourth edition of the KIUG, which kicked off on February 17.

Panjab University, who won the inaugural and the 2022 editions, came fourth with 12 gold, 12 silver and 16 bronze for a total of 40. The 2021 edition winners Jain University completed the top five with 12 gold, seven silvers and six bronze for 25 medals.

The KIUG operates in a team championship format, wherein the medals earned by individual athletes contribute to the overall medal tally of their respective universities or educational institutes.

A total of 770 medals – 240 gold, 240 silver and 290 bronze – were on offer at the 11-day meet. Over 200 Indian universities competed for the KIUG 2024 title with around 4,500 athletes taking part in 20 sports.

Swimmer Pratyasa Ray of Utkal University, with four gold, one silver and one bronze, was the most successful female athlete. The honour of the most successful male athlete went to Jain University’s Xavier Michael Dsouza, who won four gold medals.

This was the first time that the KIUG was held in northeast India. Assam hosted the majority of the events while weightlifting was held in Arunachal Pradesh, archery in Tripura, men’s football in Mizoram, men’s boxing in Sikkim, wrestling in Nagaland and yogasana events in Tripura.

KIUG 2024 saw five new Games records being set in athletics. Chandigarh University’s Vikash (men’s 1500m), Chaudhary Devi Lal University’s Jyoti (women’s javelin throw), pole vaulter M Gowtham and long jumper Vishnu from the University of Madras along with the 800m runner Amandeep Kaur of Panjab University set the new records.