New Delhi. Today has been a very historic day for India in the game of Kho Kho. After the Indian women's team became the champion in the first Kho Kho World Cup, the men's team has also won the title match. Indian men's team has become world champion by defeating Nepal. Thanks to the brilliant performance of captain Prateek Waikar and tournament star player Ramji Kashyap, the Indian men's team won the final against Nepal 54-36.
The Kho Kho World Cup 2025 final witnessed a spectacular turnout of dignitaries, adding further glory to this historic sporting event. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Supreme Court Justice Pankaj Mittal and Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju graced the occasion with their presence.
Odisha's Sports and Youth Services and Higher Education Minister Suryavanshi Suraj, International Kho-Kho Federation President Sudhanshu Mittal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Joint General Secretary Krishna Gopal were also present for this spectacular final. Their presence reflected the significance of this milestone event in Kho-Kho's journey from a traditional Indian game to becoming a global phenomenon and an Olympic sport.
Attacking first for India, Ramji Kashyap dismissed Nepal's Suraj Pujara with an extraordinary sky dive. After this, Suyyash Garget gave India a great start by beating Bharat Sahu with 10 points in just 4 minutes. Sky dive was the name of the game for the Men in Blue, and it ensured a great start for the team at Turn 1, preventing their opponents from having a dream run. At the end of the turn, the scoreline was 26-0 in favor of the Indians and it was a great start for the team.
In Turn 2, Nepal team could not match the level of India, but could not stop the team from scoring even a single dream run. Aditya Ganpule and captain Prateek Waikar led the team in this turn and despite continuous touches from players like Janak Chand and Suraj Pujara, the team took a lead of 26-18 in the second half.
India performed brilliantly in Turn 3, playing with full confidence. Captain Prateek Waikar dazzled on the mat with several sky dives and was joined by the other star of the tournament, Ramji Kashyap. Aditya Ganpule was also in his best form and the collective effort of the team took the score to 54-18 entering the final turn of the match and with it a historic tournament.
Nepal fought hard to make a comeback against Team India in Turn 4. But the defenders, once again led by Prateek Waikar and this time Sachin Bhargo – better known as Chingari – proved too strong. Mehul and Suman Barman were equally impressive, and it sealed a much-deserved trophy for Team India as the score at the end of the final stood at 54-36.
The team's journey till the championship was remarkable in every respect. India showed dominance throughout the tournament, starting with wins over Brazil, Peru and Bhutan in the group stage. Their momentum continued through to the knockout rounds, where they defeated Bangladesh in the quarter-finals and then a strong South African team in the semi-finals.
Match Award:
Best Attacker of the Match: Suyash Garget (Team India)
Best Defender of the Match: Rohit Burma (Team Nepal)
Player of the match: Mehul (Team India)
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