After Women, Indian Men Win Inaugural Kho Kho World Cup

By siliconindia  |  Monday, 20 January 2025, 02:22:15 PM IST

After Women, Indian Men Win Inaugural Kho Kho World Cup
After the historical women's victory from India, Sunday also ended as a grand triumph for the men with India bagging the inaugural edition of Kho Kho World Cup on the grounds of Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium against Nepal in 54-36 thrilling finals.
The Men in Blue dominated the game, with captain Pratik Waikar and tournament star Ramji Kashyap leading the way. Right from Turn 1, India was in a league of its own. A brilliant sky dive by Ramji Kashyap sent Nepal's Suraj Pujara to the ground, and Suyash Gargate followed it up with a touch on Bharat Sahu. India scored 10 points in just four minutes, ending the turn with a 26-0 lead, denying Nepal any Dream Runs.
Nepal regrouped in Turn 2, stopping India from going for a Dream Run but was unable to sustain the hosts' intensity. The key contributions by Aditya Ganpule and Pratik Waikar saw India keep the lead, while Nepal's Janak Chand and Suraj Pujara gave it a tough fight. The first half saw India ahead 26-18.
Turn 3 saw India at their aggressive best, with captain Pratik Waikar executing multiple sky dives and Ramji Kashyap continuing his stellar run. Aditya Ganpule added to the momentum, pushing the score to 54-18. The collective effort of the Indian team left Nepal with an uphill task entering the final turn.
Nepal played very hard in Turn 4 but could not do much to get past the mighty Indian defense led by Pratik Waikar, Sachin Bhargo, and the best-performing duo of Mehul and Suman Barman. Men in Blue never let the winning moment go.
The journey to success was characterized by dominance in group stages, when India beat Brazil, Peru, and Bhutan. Winning momentum continued well into the knockouts as the team went ahead to beat Bangladesh in the quarterfinals and then a big side from South Africa in the semifinals.
With both the men's and women's teams being the champions, India is now a powerhouse in Kho Kho, and such triumph sets the standards for excellence in the global debut of the sport.
 

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