New Delhi, Jan 19: In a masterclass of speed, strategy, and skill, the Indian women's team scripted history by clinching the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup 2025 title at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Sunday. The Women in Blue dominated Nepal in a spectacular final, sealing their victory with an emphatic score of 78-40.

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.

Match awards:

Best Attacker of the match: Anshu Kumari (Team India)

Best Defender of the match: Manmati Dhani (Team Nepal)

Best Player of the match: Chaithra B (Team India)

(IANS)

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