New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian women’s team for winning the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup after beating Nepal in the summit clash at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
PM Modi lauded the “unparalleled skill, determination and teamwork” of the Indian women’s team as they ousted Nepal 78-40 to script history in the sport. He further added that this landmark achievement will not only bring more spotlight on India’s traditional sports but also inspire youngsters to play kho kho in the country.
“Congratulations to the Indian women’s team on winning the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup! This historic victory is a result of their result of their unparalleled skill, determination and teamwork,” PM wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“This triumph has brought more spotlight to one of India’s oldest traditional sports, inspiring countless young athletes across the nation. May this achievement also pave the way for more youngsters to pursue this sport in the times to come,” he added.
A brisk start epitomised 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 champion but also marks a watershed moment for this indigenous sport on the global stage.
(IANS)
