New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS): The Indian women's team secured its semifinal berth at the 2025 Kho Kho World Cup with a commanding 109-16 victory over Bangladesh at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Friday. Led by captain Priyanka Ingle, the team showcased their dominance throughout all four turns, including an impressive Dream Run in Turn 2 that lasted over five minutes.
The side continued its remarkable streak of scoring 100+ points, making this their fifth consecutive match to cross the century mark in the tournament. The victory sets up an eagerly anticipated semifinal clash scheduled for Saturday. Turn 1 was a dominating performance from India in their quarterfinal clash against Bangladesh, hitting a half-century of points led by the experience of Nasreen Shaikh and Priyanka Ingle. They never let the Bangladeshis settle down at all, even in Turn 2 as they scored a Dream Run from the start of their turn.
Once again, it was the skipper Priyanka Ingle, alongside Ashwini Shinde and Reshma Rathod. Their batch went on for a massive 5 minutes and 36 seconds, as they scored six points to take a more than substantial lead. At the end of Turn 2, the Bangladeshis managed only four simple touches as the score read 56-8 with two more turns remaining in the game.
Turn 3 saw India rule the mat once again, as they did not allow Bangladesh to settle into the game. A skydive from Reshma Rathod brought up their fifth-straight 100 points in the Kho Kho World Cup 2025. At the end of Turn 3, in what could be better construed as a mauling, the score read 106-8 with one turn left in the Quarterfinal game. In Turn 4, the match was once again one-sided, leading to an impressive three-point Dream Run. This meant that the team went on to 109-16, setting up another exciting semifinal clash, set to take place on Saturday, January 18.
In other quarterfinal matches in the women's category, Uganda demonstrated remarkable prowess with a decisive victory over New Zealand, securing their semifinal berth with a final score of 71-26. South Africa emerged victorious in a closely contested match against Kenya, winning 51-46 to advance to the next round. Nepal dominated their quarterfinal clash against Iran with an impressive score of 103-8.
In the men's section, Iran showcased exceptional performance against Kenya, claiming a commanding win with a score of 86-18 in a quarterfinal clash. South Africa triumphed over England in a decisive match, securing their semifinal spot with a 58-38 victory. Nepal secured their berth in the last-four stage with a convincing win over Bangladesh, posting a final score of 67-18.