New Delhi [India], January 19 : After defeating South Africa to reach the final of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, India coach Ashwani Kumar Sharma assured fans that his team will bring the title home.
In a captivating display of skill and resilience, the Indian men's Kho Kho team overcame a strong South African challenge to secure their spot in the World Cup 2025 final with a 62-42 victory at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
"We never thought that Kho Kho would reach this level. We have achieved our dream and India has reached the finals. I assure the people of India that we will win the World Cup. If a team (South Africa) has reached the semi-finals, it must be a good team. It was a close match, but we were confident. We are prepared for the finals. We played a test series against the Nepal team two months ago. We analysed their players thoroughly and prepared a strategy, which will be seen in tomorrow's match," Ashwani Kumar Sharma said while speaking to ANI.
The match showcased exceptional defensive prowess and strategic gameplay from both sides before India pulled away in the decisive final turn.
A strong start from the South Africans prevented Pratik Waikar and Aditya Ganpule from going on a Dream Run, with much of the credit going to their Wazir. Their attackers then got Mehul and Sachin Bhargo into a tough fight for batch two, but Aniket Pote dragged his batch to 2 minutes and 38 seconds. This summed up Turn 1, as the South Africans managed to score 18 points, a release from Kho Kho World Cup 2025 stated.
An attacking Indian team came back hard in Turn 2, with Nikhil B in fine form as they had a tough fight on their hands. With just 14 points compared to the South Africans' 20 points, Aditya Ganpule and Gowtham M got the team back into the game with their expansive play, ensuring the score was 24-20 at the end of Turn 2.
Khozi of South Africa was the main threat to the Indian defenders in Turn 3. He ensured that the Men in Blue were all out within 2 minutes to prevent the Dream Run, equalizing the score in the process. Ramji Kashyap, Pabani Sabar, and Suyash Gargate improved this time to 2 minutes and 30 seconds for batch 2, as the South Africans increased the lead to 38. As Turn 3 came to an end, the score stood at 42-28, setting up an exciting final turn in the search for a place in the final.
Akash Kumar got Khoza and Mehul to give India an extremely important start to Turn 4. With 5 minutes and 10 seconds left on the clock, the score difference was just 4 points, but the skipper and Wazir Pratik Waikar got Khoza with an exceptional skydive. It was at this point that Mehul turned up the heat with a move that took them above their opponents. The match eventually ended with an impressive scoreline of 62-42, despite a tough fight from the South Africans.
The Indian team will face Nepal in the final at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Sunday, January 19.
The Nepal Men's team qualified for the finals of the Men's division of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 after beating IR Iran 72-29 in their semifinal clash.
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