KIIT-KISS Creates History, 54 Athletes from University in India’s Asian Games Squad

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Bhubaneswar: KIIT-KISS has created history. As many as 54 athletes from KIIT and KISS have been included in the Indian Squad for the 20th Asian Games 2026.

The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. 54 student-athletes from KIIT and KISS will participate in the games. This is said to be the largest ever contingent from a single Indian university at the Asian Games.

Of the 54, 45 are from athletics and 9 from fencing, rowing, cycling, hockey, swimming and rugby. The KIIT-KISS representation will be in a total of 7 sports disciplines.

In the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, 14 athletes from KIIT had participated for India. Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put) won gold, Amit Rohidas (Men’s Hockey) won gold, Kishore Kumar Jena (Javelin Throw) won silver and Tejaswin Shankar (Decathlon) won silver, bringing glory to the country.

This time, the 54-member squad is nearly four times bigger than in 2023. Another proud moment for KIIT this time is the participation of Tajinderpal Singh Toor. He will represent India in shot put. He has also been selected as one of the two flag-bearers for India at the opening ceremony. The other flag-bearer is two-time Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker.

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The squad has also brought glory to Odisha’s sports arena. 9 athletes from Odisha have found a place in the Indian team. Along with Amit Rohidas, Animesh Kujur and Srabani Nanda, emerging tribal talents will represent India in hockey, rowing, cycling and rugby. Athletes like Sunelita Toppo, Mama Naik, Nirmalya Rout and Dumuni Marndi have showcased emerging sports talent from tribal regions of Odisha.

In athletics, among the total 45 athletes, there are 23 men and 22 women. The squad includes prominent Indian athletes like M. Sreeshankar, Praveen Chithravel, Tejaswin Shankar, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Jyothi Yarraji, Parul Chaudhary, Srabani Nanda and Ancy Sojan. Other athletes will participate in fencing, rowing, cycling, men’s and women’s hockey, swimming and women’s rugby.

Expressing happiness over this, KIIT & KISS Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta congratulated all the athletes selected in the Indian team and extended best wishes for the Asian Games. He said that world-class training facilities, professional coaching, modern infrastructure and financial assistance will be provided to support the athletes’ preparation and participation in international competitions.

Watch the video here:

Also read: Odisha Pro T20 League 2026 to Begin from Tomorrow at Barabati

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