‘This was my first time participating…’: Prachi Devkar delighted after clinching women’s steeplechase gold at KIUG 2025

JAIPUR: Prachi Devkar expressed delight after clinching the gold medal in the Women’s Steeplechase at the Khelo India University Games 2025.

Reflecting on her performance, Devkar said, “I am very happy to win the gold medal as I participated in the Khelo India University Games 2025 for the first time…I performed very good…” Her win adds to an impressive display of emerging talent at this year’s Games.

#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan | On winning gold medal in Women’s Steeplechase in Khelo India University Games 2025, Prachi Devkar says, “I am very happy to win the gold medal as I participated in the Khelo India University Games 2025 for the first time…I performed very good…”… pic.twitter.com/42cZlJlRYo

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2025

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology’s (KIIT) 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.

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.

Olympian and 100m, 200m national record holder Animesh Kujur ended the competition for Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) on a high as he led his team to a new 4x100m meet record with a time of 40.09 seconds.

Silver medal winners Mahatma Gandhi University also equalled the previous KIUG record of 40.76s, held by Mangalore 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)