City lads Rajat Dogra, Ashutosh Bhagat win bronze at Khelo India varsity games

Two young boxers from Jalandhar, Rajat Dogra and Ashutosh Bhagat have brought pride to the city by winning bronze medals at the Khelo India University Games 2025, held in Rajasthan.

Rajat Dogra represented Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University and Ashutosh represented LPU, while both boxers train at the Government Arts and Sports College, Jalandhar, under district boxing coach Arihant Kumar. The duo has been receiving training from Coach Arihant since 2011–12. Both have won national medals as well.

Players journey:

Rajat began his sporting career in 2012, when he was still in school. He is currently pursuing B.P.Ed and plans to complete M.P.Ed as well.

Coming from a family with a strong sports legacy, Rajat shared that his great-grandfather was an Olympian in athletics. “I want to carry forward what he achieved. My dream is to represent India on the global stage,” Rajat said. He added that his father works in the private sector and has always supported his sporting ambitions.

Ashutosh Bhagat, who has already completed his master’s degree, now plans to pursue a PhD in sports psychology, balancing academics with his dedication to sports. “I want people to know that even a sportsperson can study hard and can be academically very good,” he said.

Coach Arihant Kumar expressed immense pride in the achievement of his trainees. “They were very young when they came to me, and the rest is history. They are exceptionally talented,” he said. “The accomplishments of Rajat and Ashutosh mark a significant milestone for Jalandhar’s sporting community, inspiring many young athletes to dream big,” he added. Arihant, who now trains over 30 athletes, including several girls, shared that he started his own sports journey late in life. “It wasn’t until class 10 that I began training seriously. My father always wanted me to focus on academics and pursue a career in education. But when I trained under Dronacharya awardee Shiv Singh, I started winning championships. In 2016, I got a regular job in the sports department,” Arihant said, reflecting on his own career.