Judoka Ritik Sharma’s KIUG triumph fuels his 2026 CWG dream

UDAIPUR: Since relocating to the SAI National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bhopal six years ago, Ritik Sharma’s career has experienced a rapid ascent. The young Punjab-born judoka once again highlighted his progress with a commanding performance at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) Rajasthan 2025.

Competing in his fourth KIUG at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indoor Hall in Udaipur, Ritik, representing Lovely Professional University (LPU), secured his third gold medal, adding to his existing bronze.

What made the victory more meaningful was the way he bounced back from a recent setback. Flying straight to Udaipur after a first-round exit at the Asian Open Championships in Hong Kong, Ritik wasted no time dwelling on the disappointment.

Instead, he channelled the lessons from his overseas trip into a composed, confident performance, overcoming familiar rival Yash Ghangas in the men’s +100kg final.

The rivalry between Ritik and Yash dates back to their teenage years. The two first competed in the final of the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati, and even now, as products of the same NCOE, their matchups remain intensely competitive.

“There are a handful of judokas in our category, so we have known each other for years now. I beat him for the first time in the Guwahati KIYG, and I’m glad that I could get the better of him in KIUG 2025 too,” said Ritik, emphasizing the need for more international exposure trips.

“Despite being out in the first round, I have come back with a lot of learnings and positives from Hong Kong. What also matters is the mental aspect of the sport, as such exposure trips help you in understanding how the world and Olympic champions approach the game, their techniques, and sparring with some of the best in the world,” he added.

Ritik’s journey started far from India’s main sporting centres, in Gurdaspur, a remote border district in Punjab bordering Pakistan. Growing up, opportunities were scarce, with few organized sports programmes or training centres available. Yet in 2015, at the age of 14, Ritik found his passion for judo and dedicated himself to the sport with steadfast focus. (IANS)

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