Others
World Games 2025: Parneet, Abhishek in focus as 18-member Indian contingent open campaign – Preview
All you need to know about the 2025 World Games.
Parneet Kaur is part of the Indian women's compound archery team. (Photo Credits: World Archery)
An 18-member Indian contingent will be in action as the 2025 World Games gets underway in Chengdu, China on Thursday.
The World Games, held once every four years, usually serves as the highest level of competition for sports not included in the Olympics roster. It is usually held the year after the Olympic Games.
Held for the first time in 1981, the Games in Chengdu will mark the 12th edition of the World Games.
The 2025 World Games will feature a total of 253 medal events across 34 sports in 60 disciplines.
Having competed in the quadrennial event since the inaugural edition in 1981, India has so far won five medals, including 1 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze at the World Games.
As India looks to add to this tally, the focus will firmly be on five sports – Archery, Billiards, Roller Skating, Wushu, and Racquetball. These are the five sports where India will vie for medals.
India's hopes for a strong showing will be pinned on the likes of experienced compound archers Abhishek Verma and Rishabh Yadav. Focus will also be on Parneet Kaur and Madhura Dhamangaonkar, who recently won medals at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany.
The roller skaters, who took the Asian C'ships by storm last month – Shreyasi Joshi, Anand Velkumar – will also be in action. So will the former world billiards champion Sourav Kothari.
Roshinaba Devi Naorem, who shot to fame with her medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou two years ago, will lead the Indian charge in Wushu.
India will also make its debut in Racquetball, with Shilpa Dalvi and Kosetty Jyotheekalyan.
Indian contingent
Archery
Men’s compound: Rakesh Kumar, Abhishek Verma, Rishabh Yadav
Women’s compound: Parneet Kaur, Madhura Dhamangaonkar
Mixed team compound: TBD
Billiards
Mixed heyball: Shivam Arora
Men’s 15 reds: Sourav Kothari, Kamal Chawla
Women’s 6 reds: Natasha Chethan
Racquetball
Men’s singles: Kosetty Jyotheekalyan
Women’s singles: Shilpa Dalvi
Mixed doubles: Kosetty Jyotheekalyan/Shilpa Dalvi
Roller sports
Women’s slalom classic: Shreyasi Joshi
Men’s slalom classic: Jinesh Satyan Nanal
Men’s elimination race 15000m road: Velkumar Anand Kumar
Men’s one lap road: Aryanpal Singh Ghuman
Men’s point race 10000m road: Velkumar Anand Kumar
Men’s sprint 100m road: Aryanpal Singh Ghuman
Men’s dual time trial 200m track: Aryanpal Singh Ghuman
Men’s elimination 10000m track: Velkumar Anand Kumar
Men’s points 5000m track: Velkumar Anand Kumar
Men’s sprint 1000m track: Velkumar Anand Kumar, Aryanpal Singh Ghuman
Men’s sprint 500m +D track: Aryanpal Singh Ghuman
Wushu
Women’s 52kg sanda: Namrata Batra
Men’s 56kg sanda: Abhishek Jamwal
Women’s 60kg sanda: Roshibina Devi Naorem
Where to watch?
You can catch LIVE action from certain sports on Olympics.com.
