Bhubaneswar: KIIT & KISS felicitated 11 athletes from KIIT University who represented India in various sporting events and won medals at the recently concluded World University Games (WUG) 2025 in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. KIIT is the first university in India to have won so many medals in WUG in the last 65 years.
Each athlete who won a silver medal at the WUG received a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh from KIIT and KISS, while bronze medal winners were awarded Rs 1 lakh. The awards were presented by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT & KISS, in the presence of several sporting personalities, including Olympians.
Expressing his delight over the achievement, Dr. Samanta said that the highest number of players in the Indian contingent at the World University Games were from KIIT. India secured a total of 12 medals in the event, with KIIT athletes contributing 6 of them. This accomplishment is a matter of pride for both KIIT-KISS and Odisha, he added. He also highlighted that KIIT is the first Indian university to win the highest number of medals at the World University Games in the past 65 years.
Three KIIT students — Ankita in the 3000m Steeplechase, Praveen Chithrawal in the Triple Jump, and Seeman in the 5000m Final — each won silver medals. Additionally, the Men’s 4x100m Relay Team, the Women’s 20km Race Walk Team, and Avinash Mohanty in Badminton secured bronze medals.
KIIT University showcased its sporting excellence across various events. In the Men’s 4x100m Relay, Sahkanth Hoblidhar, Animesh Kujur, Lalu Prasad Bhoi, and Matyam Jayaram Dandapati won bronze medals. In the Women’s 20km Race Walk Team event, Munitap Rajpathi, Mansi Negi, and Sejal Anilsingh walked in unison to clinch bronze. Avinash Mohanty also contributed with a bronze medal in Badminton, bringing KIIT’s total medal tally to six.
Among others, Prof. Sharanjit Singh, Vice Chancellor of KIIT-DU; Registrar Prof. J. R. Mohanty; and Dr. Gaganendu Dash, Director General of the Sports and Yogic Sciences School, were present at the ceremony. Olympians Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, Amiya Mallick, Shradhanjali Samantray, and Bhavani Devi also graced the occasion.
