Vijayawada: Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik on Thursday inaugurated the three-day national-level sports festival 'UDGAM 2026' at SRM University-AP in Amaravati.

She was joined by guest of honour Satyawart Kadian at the opening ceremony attended by students, faculty members and sports enthusiasts.

Addressing the gathering, Sakshi Malik spoke about her journey from a village in Haryana to winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She praised the university's efforts to promote sports alongside academics and encouraged students to make use of the available infrastructure.

On the occasion, the university felicitated three gold medallists from the 85th All India Inter-University Athletics Championships 2025-26. Mubasina Muhammed (B.Com) received ₹10 lakh for winning the long jump, while Aditya (BA Sociology and Anthropology) and Anamika (MBA) received ₹5 lakh each for securing gold medals in javelin throw and heptathlon respectively.

Vice-chancellor prof. Ch. Satish Kumar said the university was committed to holistic education with equal focus on academics, emotional well-being and physical fitness. He announced plans for a modern sports complex to promote talent in select disciplines, including wrestling.

Director of sports Dr V. Koul said UDGAM 2026 would provide a platform for young athletes to showcase their skills and sportsmanship at the national level.