Harpal Singh Bedi
Rifle shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar led the charge with four medals as India finished seventh with a best-ever haul of 26 medals – 11 gold, five silver and 10 bronze.
in the 31st FISU World University Games which concluded in Chengdu, China on Tuesday, .
Of the 26 medals won by India , 14 medals – eight gold, four silver and two bronze – were won by the shooters and seven by Archers
India’s previous best performance at the World University Games was at Gwangju 2015, where it won five medals – one gold, one silver and three bronze. At the 2019 edition in Naples,India won four medals – one gold, one silver and two bronze. Three East Asian countries dominated the Games as hosts China topped the medals tally with 178 medals, including 103 gold. Japan came second with 21 gold medals from a tally of 93. Korea finished third with 17 gold medals from a total of 58.
Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, was the most successful Indian athlete at the Games with four medals. He won gold medals in 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions and was partof gold medal-winning 10m air rifle team. He also won a bronze with the 50m rifle 3 positions team. Youth Olympic Games champion Manu Bhaker and Sift Kaur Samra also won multiple gold medals. Manu Bhaker bagged gold medals in the women’s 10m air pistol individual as well as the teamevent. Sift Kaur Samra claimed 50m rifle 3 positions Gold.
Archers added seven medals, including three gold, to the tally. Avneet Kaur and Sangampreet Singh Bisla won individual gold medals in women’s and men’s compoundevents, respectively. Aman Saini and Pragati combined to win a gold medal in the mixed compound team event.
In Athletics, India claimed four bronze medals. Jyothi Yarraji clocked a new national record to win the bronze medal in the women’s 100m hurdles. Amlan Borgohain (men’s 200m) and Bhavani Yadav (women’s long jump) also won bronze medals.
Silver medalist in the 10,000m walk at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Athletics Championships, Priyanka Goswami, led the women’s 20km race walk team to a bronze.
Yamini Mourya, competing in women’s 57kg, claimed country’s solitary bronze in judo. It was India’s first-ever judo medal at the World University Games.
India have been part of the World University Games since the inaugural edition at Turin in 1959.