KIIT-KISS athletes set record with 54 selections for Asian Games

A record 54 student-athletes from KIIT and KISS have been selected for the Indian squad competing in the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. This represents the largest contingent from a single Indian university to date, nearly quadrupling the 14 athletes who participated in the 2023 Hangzhou Games.

The squad includes 45 athletes specializing in athletics and nine athletes across fencing, rowing, cycling, hockey, swimming, and rugby. Notable participants include 2023 gold medalist Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who has also been named as one of India’s two flag-bearers for the opening ceremony alongside Manu Bhaker. Other prominent athletes include Kishore Kumar Jena, Tejaswin Shankar, M. Sreeshankar, and Jyothi Yarraji.

The selection also highlights the sporting development in Odisha, with nine athletes from the state included in the team, including several emerging talents from tribal regions participating in hockey, rowing, cycling, and rugby.