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

Udaipur, Dec 9 (IANS) 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, emphasising 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 organised 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.

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, which 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 global stage.

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

For Ritik, the lack of quality sparring partners in his weight class remains a major obstacle. However, he continues to push his boundaries and is now aiming for the next significant goal of breaking into the 2026 Commonwealth Games squad.

--IANS

bc/vi

Source: IANS | © IANS. All rights reserved.