Nearly half of Tamil Nadu’s contingent for ‘Khelo India University Games 2025’ drawn from University of Madras

Nearly half of the Tamil Nadu contingent at the Khelo India University Games 2025 has been drawn from the University of Madras and its affiliated colleges.

The contingent of nearly 200 athletes left for Rajasthan on Saturday (November 22, 2025). The 82-strong contingent from the University of Madras (UoM) would participate in nine disciplines of both individual and team events at the Games that begin on November 24.

Citing past records, V. Mahadevan, Director, Physical Education Department of University of Madras, exuded confidence that the contingent will do well. “Our athletes have always done well and have won medals in the past. Also, we have been sending 80 to 90 athletes to all the four previous Khelo Indian University Games,” he said. The contingent also includes over 50 athletes from Annamalai University and close to 20 from Anna University.

Working on a paltry annual budget of around ₹60 lakh, the University of Madras is having to balance its priorities. This is apart from the ₹10 lakh that the university allocates the Physical Education Department towards kit and uniform of the students.

The system works thus: Athletes from the 130-odd affiliate colleges and the university departments attend a special camp where the potential representatives are selected. The potential representatives are then put through a special coaching camp to develop better coordination among them before being sent for inter-university competitions. The attendees are reportedly paid ₹100 a day as allowance during the camps. The practice of daily training for athletes is conspicuously absent.

So, how many of these athletes have the goal of pushing themselves to reach the next level? Very few, replies Mr. Mahadevan. “Most of the students who enter colleges or the university under sports quota aren’t that well-to-do. They mostly look for securing jobs under the sports quota,” he observes.

The university has a working collaboration with the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for using its facilities during the selection and coaching camps. That, to some extent, addresses the infrastructure issue. Question remains, however, on how such a financially strained system is able to support the requirements of athletes and push their performance levels up a few notches.