‘Hope to make India proud in major competitions’: Samardeep Singh Gill after winning gold in shot put

JAIPUR: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology’s Samardeep Singh Gill improved on his own All India University (AIU) mark in men’s Shot Put in the Khelo India University Games, Rajasthan 2025 at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium.

On winning the gold medal in Shot Put in the Khelo India University Games 2025, Samardeep Singh Gill said, “…My entire season has been very good…We hope to make India proud in major competitions…My family supports me a lot…”

#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan | On winning the gold medal in Shot Put in the Khelo India University Games 2025, Samardeep Singh Gill says, “…My entire season has been very good…We hope to make India proud in major competitions…My family supports me alot…” (04.12) pic.twitter.com/fsGOaTBZvD

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2025

Shot putter Samardeep, who has beaten two-time Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor thrice this year, hurled the shot put to a distance of 19.42m on his second attempt to claim the gold medal, while the second-place finisher Aniket of Guru Kashi University could only manage to clear a distance of 18.08m.

The previous AIU record (18.76m) and KIUG record (18.75m) holder, Samardeep, has been in exceptional form this year, throwing consistently above 19 metres, and repeated that feat in Jaipur.

The fifth edition of KIUG 2025 is being held across seven cities in Rajasthan. A whopping 4448 athletes from 222 Universities are competing in 23 medal disciplines. The Games are being held under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India in collaboration with the Rajasthan State Sports Council and are being hosted by Poornima University.

With just one day of competition left, Chandigarh University extended its lead at the top of the medals table to 41 by bagging seven gold medals in Canoe and Kayaking on Thursday.

While Chandigarh University dominated the Canoe and Kayaking events, three new records were made in athletics to take the total to 12 over four days. (ANI)