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A string of injuries would add to the insult that the Protean side incurred on the mat as India punched their ticket to the final against Nepal in fine fashion.
It was another brilliant day for India at the Kho Kho World Cup.
It was a spirited fight. But once again, it was the Indian Women who came out on top, shrugging off visitors South Africa with ease in a 66-16 win to seal their spot in the final of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 on Saturday.
Having posted one dominant win after the other, the scintillating South Africans were the penultimate hurdle between the Priyanka Ingle-led Indian squad and the coveted Kho Kho World Cup trophy.
With the finalists Nepal having sent out a battle cry with their unforgiving romp of Uganda in the previous semi-final earlier in the evening, it was time for the remaining semi-finalists to leave it all out on the mat and send a war cry of their own.
With the toss going the way of the Indians, who elected to defend first, the pressure was now on the Proteas, who were enthusiastically cheered on by their male counterparts, to open their account and secure a sizeable lead in Turn 1.
But, disaster would strike South Africa within mere seconds as they would lose out on an attacker due to an unfortunate collision to the head, with a substitution being made instantaneously.
India would begin their defense by deploying their trusty trio of Nirmala, Chaithra, and Nazia who would capitalise on the now-distracted Proteas weaving and dodging their way through the attack at will.
Chaithra, in particular, would prove to be the star defender, eating up a whopping five minutes and 23 seconds, notching 5 points of her own for the hosts, before finally being captured.
The South Africans proved to be no match for India’s sheer physicality and agility, with multiple players taking hits to the body as Turn 1 ended with the scores at 10-5, providing a slender lead to the visitors.
The lead though would diminish within just a little more than the first minute of Turn 2, as India’s attackers hunted the South Africans with a vengeance, shifting the momentum instantaneously.
Despite their best attempts, no batch of the South African defenders would last any longer than almost two minutes at best, as the hosts made light work of their opponents, racking up the points at a consistent pace to ultimately end Turn 2 with a commanding 33-10 lead over the visitors.
The hosts wouldn’t let go of the pressure on the visitors as the defending trio of Vaishnavi, Sheikh, and Opina would keep the scoreboard ticking with Dream Runs of their own. And in a manner of adding insult to injury (or rather the opposite in this case), South Africa would lose out on their Wazir who would succumb to an injury of her own following a harsh dive onto the mat, as Turn 3 would come to a displeasing end with the scores reading 38-16.
In what would be a customary final Turn (or rather a display of their unparalleled prowess) for India, the hosts would rack the points up at will, as the semi-final came to an end with the scoreline reading 66-16.
India will now finally face off against yet another favourite, Nepal, in the final of the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup tomorrow Sunday.
