Patna (Bihar)[India], May 11 : The cheers were deafening, the stakes high and yet, in the eye of the storm, three young girls from Nagaland found their calm.
Inside the BSAP Indoor Hall, the Sepak Takraw girls' doubles final at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Bihar had all the makings of a one-sided show. Bihar had the crowd, the confidence and the opening game in the bag. But what it didn't have was the heart of Vikhosanu, Meyonu and Thujono.
Down but not out, the Naga team rallied. Point by point, game by game, it clawed back, turning the home fans raucous support to silence, its hope into disbelief. The second game was its. The third? The Naga team made it a veritable tug-of-war after trailing 4-11 at one stage.
It pulled level at 13-13 and it felt like time stood still. And then, just like that, two clutch points and an eruption of tears, joy and disbelief. What followed was grit, poise and two perfectly-timed points. Gold belonged to Nagaland.
Products of the Dimapur State Sports Academy, Vikhosanu (15) and Meyonu (13) are paternal cousins, while Thujono (16) also trains under the same coach Holshe Khrieo. Sparked by YouTube videos of its idol Sezovelu Dozo, the trio started taking interest in the sport and the rest is history.
"Frankly speaking, we didn't expect gold, but our girls played really well. Credit to them for keeping their calm when it mattered the most. It was a really close encounter, and could have been anyone's match, but the way it unfolded, I am proud of my girls," said an elated Dziesebeinuo Vizo, Nagaland's Chef-de-Mission.
Manipuri boys shine for Assam
In the heart of Bihar, far from their hometowns in the Barak Valley, Aprince Sinha, M Abhijit, and H Manganthoiba walked into the spotlight. Representing Assam, the trio, born to Manipuri families settled in Hailakandi and Cachar, carried expectation and pride on their shoulders. A tale of courage under pressure unfolded.
Up against a formidable Bihar side on its home turf, Assam had no crowd, no backingonly the bond and belief. The first game saw Aprince and Abhijit explode with energy and precision, taking it 15-9 with clinical play. The second game, however, was a battle of nerves as Bihar came back fighting, pushing the contest to a decider.
At 15-all in the decider, every serve felt like a final breath. But the Assam duo didn't blink. With composure forged from years of practice and passion, it eked out the last two points to seal the gold, though the home lads saved two match points with great defence.
Inspired by his sister A Priya Devi, who represented India at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Aprince found his calling early. When his father first took him to the court, he didn't just pick up a sporthe picked up a dream.
Abhijit, too, comes from a Sepak Takraw family. His elder brother, M Premchandra, has competed at the national level, making the path clearer but no less demanding. And then there's Manganthoiba, the quiet force, whose steady presence in the final grounded the team when pressure peaked.
Together, they showed what happens when personal passion meets collective purpose. No celebration was louder, no smile wider as Bihar suffered a second consecutive jolt barely minutes after the women's team settled for the silver.
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