Nepal’s Fairytale Run in Kho Kho World Cup Ends in Defeat to India

Nepal’s fairytale run in the Kho Kho World Cup ended in a defeat to hosts India in the final of the women’s category.

The Nepali women’s national kho kho team finished second in the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup after suffering a defeat to India.

In the final match of the women’s category played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Hall in New Delhi on Sunday, the Nepali team was defeated 78-40. 

In the first innings of the final match, Nepal invited India to attack. Indian player Priyanka Ingle gave her team a big lead of 34-0 with an aggressive performance in the innings. In the second innings, Indian player Chaitra B made her team stronger by adding a dream run point. However, Nepal made a strong comeback and narrowed down the score to 35-24.

In the third innings, India intensified its attack and put Nepal under pressure. During this innings, the Indian team maintained a big lead of 49 points. In the fourth innings, Indian player Chaitra B performed excellently and added five dream run points.

At the end of the fourth innings, the game ended in India's favor 78-40. While the Indian team's attack and defensive strategy were effective throughout the game, the struggle and commitment of the Nepali team were commendable.

The Nepali women’s team advanced to the finals by triumphing 89-18 over Uganda in the first semi-final of the women’s category on Saturday. In the run-up to the final, the women's team had performed excellently in the tournament, maintaining a 100 percent record in their six games. 

Reaching the final of any sports world cup is a big deal for Nepal. In addition, reaching the finals of the Kho Kho World Cup undefeated is a feat that only the women’s national kho kho team has achieved.