New Delhi [India], January 19 : The India Women's Kho Kho team emerged victorious in the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup, defeating Nepal with an impressive score of 78-40 in the final. The match, which showcased India's dominance and skill, has etched the team's name in history as the first-ever champions of the tournament.
Sumit Bhatia, one of Team India's head coaches, expressed his elation after the win.
"We have created a world record... The team performed very well... They performed more than we expected," Bhatia told ANI, highlighting the exceptional efforts of the players.
Munni Joon, another head coach of the Indian team, shared her pride in the team's historic accomplishment.
"I am very proud of winning the gold medal... Our team has created a history... It was an amazing moment when we won the cup... The team performed well," Joon said, emphasizing the significance of the moment for Indian Kho Kho.
The Indian team's dominant performance throughout the tournament culminated in a remarkable final, where they showcased their skills and teamwork to secure a convincing win. This victory marks a major milestone in the sport's history and sets a strong precedent for the future of Kho Kho on the global stage.
Coming to the match, a brisk start epitomized Turn 1 as the Indian attackers took charge of proceedings. Three batches in, the Nepal women were out by simple touches on 7 occasions, with 14 points to India's name. Skipper Priyanka Ingle was in the best of form for her team with multiple touch points to her name, as the Indians started off in an exceptional manner. This was enough to take the Women in Blue to 34 points and preventing a single Dream Run for the Nepal team.
Manmati Dhami got Vaishnavi Pawar, and Samjhana B eliminated Priyanka Ingle but Chaithra B took India's first batch of Turn 2 into the Dream Run. It wasn't for long though, as Dipa completed the all out just moments later. This got the side back into the game but they only managed to score 24 points at the end of Turn 2, with an 11-point deficit at half time.
Team India was once again a dominant force in Turn 3, never allowing the Nepal defenders to settle in their stride. Dipa BK was a regular for Nepal but it went in vain throughout, ensuring that the Indians edged closer to the trophy.
Chaithra B was the orchestrator of the Dream Run for India, taking the score to a massive 78 points in Turn 4. Their batch went on for a massive 5 minutes and 14 seconds, closing out the game for India and confirming them as the first-ever champions of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025.
India's path to glory included commanding victories over South Korea, IR Iran, and Malaysia in the group stages, followed by triumph against Bangladesh in the quarter-finals and a masterful win over South Africa in the semi-finals. This historic achievement not only crowns India as the inaugural world champions but also marks a watershed moment for this indigenous sport on the global stage.
The Best Attacker of the match was awarded to Anshu Kumari of India, and Best Defender of the match was presented to Manmati Dhani of Nepal. The Best Player of the match was Chaithra B of India.
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