India’s Men and Women Teams Became Kho-Kho World Champions
India’s women’s team won the Kho-Kho World Cup by winning all six of their matches. Both the men’s and women’s teams of India secured the first-ever Kho-Kho World Cup title. The finals in both categories were played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The women’s team defeated Nepal by a huge margin of 78-40, while the men’s team won 54-36, also against Nepal.
The Kho-Kho World Cup was held in New Delhi from January 13 to 19. Both of India’s teams remained undefeated throughout the tournament. Nepal’s teams in both categories faced defeat against India in the finals. After winning the title, both teams took a victory lap with the Indian national flag.
Men’s Final
In the men’s final, Nepal won the toss and chose defense. In the first inning, India earned 26 points while Nepal scored zero. India even managed to get Nepal all-out once. At the end of the first inning, India led with a score of 26-0. In the second inning, Nepal chased and scored 18 points. The score at half-time was 26-18 in favor of India.
In the third inning, India earned 28 points, and Nepal’s team was all-out within four minutes. Nepal could not score a single Dream Run. After the third inning, India maintained a lead with 54-18. In the fourth inning, Nepal scored 18 points, but India won the match by a margin of 54-36.
Women’s Final
In the women’s final, Nepal won the toss and chose defense. India showed their dominance in the first inning, earning 34 points. In the second inning, Nepal chased and scored 24 points, while India earned 1 point. At half-time, India maintained a lead of 35-24.
In the third inning, India extended their lead further, scoring 38 points. The score after the third inning was 73-24 in India’s favor. In the fourth and final inning, Nepal only scored 16 points, while India added 5 more points. The final score ended with India winning 78-40, making India’s women’s team the first-ever Kho-Kho World Cup champions.
Women’s Group Stage
A total of 19 teams participated in the women’s group. India’s women’s team was in Group-A alongside Iran, Malaysia, and South Korea. The team defeated South Korea 176-18, Iran 100-16, and Malaysia 100-20 with large margins. India topped the group stage and advanced to the quarter-finals.
In the quarter-finals, India defeated Bangladesh by a margin of 109-16. In the semi-finals, India won against South Africa with a score of 66-16. In the final, India’s women’s team continued their dominant performance, defeating Nepal 78-40. Nepal was the only team to keep the margin under 50 points against India during the entire tournament.