New Delhi: The Indian women’s Kho Kho team once again showcased their tactical prowess as they outplayed South Africa 66-16 in the semifinals of the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup 2025 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
The Women in Blue delivered a masterclass in both attack and defense, setting up an exciting final clash with Nepal.
The Women in Blue started off in style with a Dream Run courtesy of Chaithra B, who continued even after Nazia Bibi and Nirmala Bhati were caught by the defenders. She single-handedly scored 5 points before being eliminated by South Africa’s Sinethemba Mosia. This was enough to take them close to the South Africans’ 8 points at the end of Turn 1, giving them the perfect start to the match.
Turn 2 saw Reshma in full form as the women got the South African players in multiple batches, scoring crucial points on their way. This proved important for the side, as the score read 33-10 in favor of the Women in Blue.
A Dream Run for the Indian women’s team in their second match closed out Turn 3, as Vaishnavi Powar, Nasreen Shaikh, and Bhilardevi went on for a good five minutes. Their five points epitomized the third turn as the score stood at 38-16, giving them a strong platform heading into the final seven minutes of their semifinal clash.
The longest batch for the South Africans in Turn 4 lasted just 1 minute and 45 seconds as the Indians sealed their place in the final. Nasreen Shaikh and Reshma Rathod led the charge, guiding the team to victory with the final score at 66-16.
The Indian team will face Nepal in the final at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Sunday, January 19. The Nepal Women qualified for the finals of the Women’s division of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 after beating Uganda 89-18 in their semifinal clash.
(IANS)
