Panjab University brings home Khelo India University Games crown

Panjab University , the winners of the inaugural edition of the Khelo India University Games , topped the medals tally with 69 medals including 26 gold, 17 silver and 26 bronze

Panjab University (PU) reclaimed the overall champions crown at the third Khelo Indian University Games.

The Panjab University team posing with the overall winners’ trophy at the third Khelo India University Games . (HT Photo)

Even a clean sweep of fencing golds was not enough to help Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, upset the champions from the Games’ inaugural edition.

National Games champion Yash Ghangas, who was the major draw on the final day, lived up to the billing and enthralled the BBD University, Lucknow, crowd to pick up the men’s 100+kg category judo gold for Chaudhary Bansi Lal University (CBLU). Mumbai University also claimed a gold in the judo women’s 78+kg. as did t

Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) came out on top in the men’s group traditional yogasana, claiming gold at the SAC hall of the Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University campus in Varanasi. Chandigarh University (CU) and Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, picked up a gold medal each in weightlifting at the GB University in Gautambuddh Nagar’s Greater Noida.

Amid the action, PU maintained their position atop the medals tally, finishing with 69 medals including 26 gold, 17 silver and 26 bronze. GNDU amassed 24 gold, 27 silver and 17 bronze medals to finish second, their first top-three finish. Last year’s champions, Jain University, Karnataka, came in third with 16 gold, 10 silver and six bronze medals.

The latter did, however, have the most successful athletes at the Games — both coming from swimming. Siva Sridhar had the biggest medal hauls from the men’s side with a total of 11 medals including eight golds, while Shrungi Bandekar came out on top in the women’s side with nine medals including five golds.

As many as 131 of the 203 universities participating in the games picked up medals. Eleven new games records were registered over the 12-day competition, which was held across nine venues in four cities in Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Gautambuddh Nagar. The shooting competition was held in Delhi, while water sports debuted in Gorakhpur.