Judoka Ritik Sharma's Khelo India University Games triumph fuels his Commonwealth Games 2026 dream

Udaipur (Rajasthan)[India], December 9 (ANI): Ever since his move to the SAI National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bhopal six years ago, Ritik Sharma's career has charted a steep upward trajectory. The young Punjab-born judoka once again underlined his growth with a commanding performance during 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), added a third gold medal to his tally, which also includes a bronze.

What made the win 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 outing into a composed, confident performance, overcoming familiar rival Yash Ghangas in the men's +100kg final.

The rivalry between Ritik and Yash stretches back to their teenage years. The two first faced off in the final of the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati, and even today, as products of the same NCOE, their matchups remain fiercely competitive, according to SAI media.

"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, emphasising the need for more international exposure trips.

"Despite being out in the first round, I have come back with a lot of learning 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 began far away from India's mainstream sporting hubs, in Gurdaspur, a remote border district in Punjab that shares its boundary with Pakistan. Growing up, opportunities were limited, with few structured sports programmes or training centres available. Yet in 2015, as a 14-year-old, Ritik discovered his passion for judo and committed himself to the sport with unwavering focus.

Born to an ASI in the Punjab Police and the youngest of three siblings, Ritik began his initial training at the renowned Shaheed Bhagat Singh JFI coaching centre, a nursery that has produced over 50 international and 100 national-level judokas. The foundation he built there kept him steady even as he faced challenges on the international stage.

Though he returned empty-handed from last year's Grand Slams in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, the 24-year-old is now fuelled by the momentum of his KIUG gold as he prepares for the Senior National Championships, scheduled to begin December 11 in Imphal.

For Ritik, the shortage of quality sparring partners in his weight category remains a significant hurdle. Yet he continues to push his limits and is now eyeing the next big leap by breaking into the 2026 Commonwealth Games squad. (ANI)

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