New Delhi [India], January 17 : The Indian women's kho kho team secured their semi-final berth at the ongoing 2025 World Cup with a commanding 109-16 victory over Bangladesh at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Friday.
According to a release from the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, Priyanka Ingle-led Team India showcased their dominance throughout all four turns, including an impressive Dream Run in Turn 2 that lasted over five minutes. The side continued their 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 semi-final 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 6 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.
In the women's category, Uganda demonstrated remarkable prowess with a decisive victory over New Zealand, securing their semi-final 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 quarter-final clash against Iran with an impressive score of 103-8.
Meanwhile, in the men's division, Iran showcased an exceptional performance against Kenya, claiming a commanding win with a score of 86-18. South Africa triumphed over England in a decisive match, securing their semi-final spot with a 58-38 victory. Nepal secured their semi-final berth with a convincing win over Bangladesh, posting a final score of 67-18.