Karunakaran’s journey from India to the FISU badminton podium

Participating in the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games is a great honour for all student-athletes. Reaching such a high level of competition at a young age can significantly impact their future sporting careers. However, for some, it means even more.

From the badminton court in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Sathish Karunakaran from India shared his story. He explained how difficult it is to reach this level from his country and highlighted the crucial role associations and foundations play in helping budding athletes achieve their goals.

Bittersweet bronze 

On Sunday, 20 July, the mixed team medals were awarded at the Westenergie Sporthalle. After several tough battles, the Indian team secured a well-deserved bronze.

Overall, Karunakaran was satisfied with the result, even though the 3-1 loss to Chinese Taipei in the semifinal match left him with a bitter taste. “I think initially in the first set there was a call which I didn’t tap and then my opponent overruled it. After that, I started really well the second set. But third set, he was dominating the net well, more than me. So he was more at the net, so I couldn’t control,” he said, analysing his performance.

“They are my backbone”

For Karunakaran, winning the bronze medal — and simply having the opportunity to compete at such a high level — holds deep personal significance.

“I mean, it’s pretty much difficult. Without a support, I think nobody can do anything,” he said, acknowledging the many challenges of reaching this stage in India. “But yeah, there are challenges for everybody. I mean, we have to, you know, it’s a part of our sportsmanship life, so we cannot avoid that. We need to go through that.”

The humanities student from Bharathiar University credits his participation in these FISU Games and all other international competitions to the Dream Sports Foundation, an organisation committed to strengthening India’s sports ecosystem by addressing critical gaps through impactful support.

“Because of them, I’m here, right there. Because they are the ones who are taking care of my entire thing. I mean, they are my backbone, to be honest, they are my backbone. Just because they are there behind me, I have no tension on any other things. I’m just focusing on my game and I’m doing my thing. Their support is really, you know, I’m always grateful for them.” he said, with a hint of emotion in his voice.

Looking ahead: Next challenge and a dream to give back

Thanks to the support of the Dream Sports Foundation, Karunakaran can now focus entirely on his athletic journey and dream even bigger, aiming for further success in international meets. His next destination? The Macau Open Badminton Championships.

“After this competition, I’m heading to Macau Open, directly, immediately after this competition. So yeah, I’m just mentally getting ready. Hopefully, I just want to be fit. So far, everything is good. So, I’m just going to focus on my recovery and get back to the next circuit.”

Reflecting on the support he’s received and how far it has taken him, he doesn’t hide the ambition to one day return the favour by creating a foundation of his own.

“If I could, if I have an option of doing that, I will be the first person to do those things. Because I know how much I suffered and how much my family suffered. I know how much we overcome and how much we sacrifice. So, if I can do that, I will definitely do it for everyone.”

In Sunday evening’s mixed team final, the People’s Republic of China defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1. The second bronze medal went to the Republic of Korea.

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games take place from 16-27 July. Watch all the competitions live on fisu.tv. Click on the link to find the full schedule.

Written by Valentina Rasini, FISU Young Reporter, Italy

The Young Reporters Programme exemplifies FISU’s commitment to more than sports competitions. At every FISU World University Games, a group of talented aspiring sports journalists are chosen to cover the competition.

We warmly thank FISU Official Partner Qiaodan Ltd. which provides remarkable uniforms to FISU Family and International Technical Officials since 2015. Qiaodan is a valuable partner for FISU as it continued to provide its support during the postponement of events due to the global pandemic, and recently extended the relationship with FISU up to and including 2025.