Once told to quit, Rejiya powers to emotional KIUG 3km Pursuit victory

“This sport is not for you.” It was a line Khoirom Rejiya Devi heard far too often, at home and even from some coaches, when she first began cycling in 2019.

The Manipur-born rider, now representing Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) at the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025, turned to cycling relatively late after spending her junior years playing Sepak Takraw. Despite her commitment, she was overlooked in that sport, pushing her to explore a new path.

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In Jaipur, the 23-year-old delivered the perfect response to all her early detractors. Rejiya stunned favourite Meenakshi Rohilla of Guru Nanak Dev University to win the women’s 3km Pursuit gold at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium Cycling Velodrome.

“From 2019, on the track, even at home, I faced so much mental stress that now every race feels like a challenge. And that is why I never think about who is in front of me. I have only one goal, to make myself the best cyclist in the country,” Rejiya said.

A fisherman’s daughter from Phubala village in Bishnupur district, Rejiya spent four years in Manipur’s Sepak Takraw setup between 2014 and 2018 before realising the sport offered her no long-term future.

“My father, in a drunken state, used to taunt me; people mocked me. There was a time when I cried every day. But then, in 2019, a friend said try cycling, because you run very fast,” she said.

The shift to cycling wasn’t straightforward either. After competing at the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games, her progress was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With conditions at home worsening, she continued training quietly, determined to hold on to her dream.

When competitive activity resumed, she travelled to Delhi for national trials only to hear the familiar refrain: “You lack exposure; your timing is not good for the senior level.”

But this time she refused to quit. Returning home, she began a rigorous routine, running every morning, shedding 10 kilos, and eventually switching from sprint events to endurance racing. Her breakthrough came at the 2021 Senior Nationals in Jaipur, where she won bronze and earned a place in the national camp in Patiala. From there, her ascent was steady.

In 2022, she helped India clinch a historic bronze in the women’s Team Pursuit at the Asian Cycling Championships. By 2024, Rejiya had firmly established herself among the country’s leading pursuit riders, even though Meenakshi remained the benchmark.

Jaipur finally gave her a chance to go head-to-head and Rejiya grabbed it, ending Meenakshi’s bid to sweep all five gold medals at the Games. “To beat Meenakshi, you need intelligence, strength and strategy, all three. I knew she had been racing continuously for the past five days. The moment I sensed her fatigue increasing, I picked up my pace,” said Rejiya, who also won the Asmita League last year.

“Meenakshi is a champion athlete. She doesn’t like losing, and neither do I. I have faced so much neglect in my life that now I am always hungry for achievement. With this victory, I have answered myself and all those people who once said I couldn’t do it. There is no athlete better than her (Meenakshi) in the 3km pursuit, so defeating her is a special achievement for me,” she added.

What followed was a moment of mutual respect. Meenakshi, who finished KIUG 2025 with four gold medals and a silver, embraced Rejiya after the race, gently patted her back and said, “Rejiya is one of the strongest cyclists from our team. We train together at NSNIS Patiala. I am happy that she won. Although there is some pain in my heart that I lost in my favourite event, I wholeheartedly congratulate her on her victory.”