The Indian contingent at the World University Games 2025 in Germany has become the center of controversy after a massive administrative failure.
Multiple Indian athletes, including six from the badminton team and several from athletics, were barred from competing because officials failed to submit their names properly. The 2025 World University Games blunder in India has sparked public outrage and demands for accountability.
Six Badminton Players Not Registered Due to Mismanagement
In the mixed team badminton event, India was supposed to field twelve players. However, only six names were submitted during the official managers’ meeting, leaving out the remaining six, despite them having traveled, trained, and prepared to represent the country.
Athletes like Alisha Khan, Rohan Kumar, Aditi Bhatt, and Darshan Pujari were left stunned. They were denied participation, recognition, medals, and job quota benefits. Many described the situation as career sabotage. The players spoke out on social media, demanding answers and calling it a complete collapse of administrative responsibility.
Track Athletes Also Affected by Entry Errors
This was not limited to badminton. In the track events, sprinter Devyaniba Zala had paid over ₹2.5 lakh to compete. Despite this, her name was not listed in the 400m start sheet. Long-distance runner Seema also missed her 10,000m race due to unchecked confirmation boxes on forms submitted by Indian officials.
This growing list of Indian athletes not registered in Germany highlights a pattern of carelessness in managing international student sports participation.
AIU Faces Backlash as Inquiry Launched
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has come under fire for its role in this disaster. The body has suspended its joint secretary and formed a four-member inquiry committee to investigate the issue.
However, sports experts and fans believe this is not enough. Many are calling it a deeper failure in AIU sports administration that needs reform. Athletes have also requested formal apologies, compensation, and strict policy changes to avoid such humiliating incidents in future events.
The World University Games 2025 India blunder serves as a harsh reminder that poor administration can destroy dreams. Talented athletes trained for months, only to be sidelined by mistakes that should never have happened. It is time for India’s sports governance bodies to prioritize athletes over paperwork and ensure no one loses a medal or a career due to clerical negligence.
