23 Athletes supported by Reliance Foundation gear up to make their mark at the World University Games in Germany

Mumbai, 19th July: A contingent of 23 athletes supported by the Reliance Foundation look to compete at the World University Games across six cities in Germany, with events running until July 27th. Representing athletics, archery, and judo, these young talents aim to improve international rankings, achieve personal bests, and bring home laurels.

The athletics team forms the backbone of the foundation's campaign, with 18 athletes competing in sprints, jumps, throws, hurdles, relay, long jump, decathlon, among other events, beginning July 21st

James Hillier, Director of Athletics, Reliance Foundation, commented on the importance of the World University Games, “The World University Games is a very important competition for us, it is one of the few opportunities that athletes get to compete in a multi-sport environment. Athletes from different disciplines get to interact with each other and get the best out of their counterparts, which is a big benefit for them.”

Delving into the expectations for RF athletes, Hillier commented, “The starting point is for all our athletes to finish ahead of their current ranking. The reason why we expect that is because we pride ourselves on preparing our athletes better than anybody else - so it is not about who is the best athlete but who is the best prepared athlete.”

Key athletes to watch in athletics:
The athletics cohort comprises of: Jeswin Aldrin (Long Jump), Ancy Sojan (Long Jump), Moumita Mondal (100mH, Long Jump), Animesh Kujur (200m, 4x100), Manikanta Hoblidhar (100m, 4x100), Gurindervir Singh (100m, 4x100), DM Jayaram (4x100), Lalu Prasad Bhoi (4x100m), Harshita Sehrawat (Hammer Throw), Sahil Silwal (Javelin Throw), Karishma Sanil (Javelin Throw), Kiran Matre (10000m), Seema (10000m), Shreevarthani SK (400mH), Poorna Raorane (Shot Put), Reegan Ganesan (Pole Vault), Jasbir Nayak (Decathlon)

Animesh Kujur will look at replicate his good form, take it a notch up in the 200m after his recent performances, including his outing at the Meeting Herculis EBS (Monaco Diamond League) in the U23 200m event, as part of his European tour. Similarly, the all- Reliance Foundation relay team comprising Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar, Gurindervir Singh, DM Jayaram and Lalu Prasad Bhoi, will look to blend camaraderie and capability to reaffirm Reliance Foundation’s mission in preparing a world-class relay ready team.

Moumita Mondal comes with a new personal best of 13.24s in the 100m hurdles earlier this month, making her the fourth best in India, ever. However, she will also take on her RF training partner Ancy Sojan in the long jump, who comes with a personal best of 6.71m. They will look to bring the best out of each other at the World University Games.

Archery & Judo – Quiet Firepower: As part of the Reliance Foundation Scholarship Program, the Foundation also supports promising athletes in archery and judo who will be part of these tournaments:

Archery:
* Mrinal Chauhan and Vishnu Choudhary – Recurve (Men)
* Kushal Dalal – Compound (Men)
Judo:
* Himanshi Tokas (Below 63kg) – A gold medallist at the Jr. Asian Cup 2025 in Taipei, Himanshi aims to continue her winning streak on the university stage.

About Reliance Foundation:
Reliance Foundation's sports initiatives have touched the lives of over 23 million young people since 2013 across the country from over 13,000 schools and colleges, providing an opportunity for talented children anywhere to be able to achieve their dream of a career in sport. It is especially committed to ensuring more presence and the success of girls and female athletes in India, and designs its programmes in a manner that offers them maximum opportunities. Reliance Foundation’s sports programme aims to develop the sporting ecosystem in India starting from the grassroots. Through its scholarship and athletics programmes, the foundation currently supports over 200 athletes in more than 10 Olympic sports. It also operates three world-class athletics training facilities in India, and has partnerships with the IOC, IOA, AFI and Odisha government. Reliance Foundation runs the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) football academy, which is India's highest-rated football academy, with many graduates going on to represent various ISL clubs. The Foundation's approach to developing the football ecosystem includes organising four grassroots competitions: Reliance Foundation Youth Sports, RFYC Naupang League, RFYC Coastal League and Reliance Foundation Development League. For more information, go to: https://www.rfyouthsports.com/