Kalinga institute

Khelo India University Games Rajasthan: Khoirom Rejiya Devi was always told, "this sport is not for you", by her family, and some coaches also repeated it when she first took up cycling back in 2019.

The cyclist from Manipur, representing Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) at the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025, was a late convert to cycling after initially trying her hand at Sepak Takraw as a junior, but she was overlooked for further selection.

The 23-year-old silenced all critics when she upset favourite Meenakshi Rohilla of Guru Nanak Dev University to win the women’s 3km Pursuit gold at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium Cycling Velodrome in Jaipur.