India Women's Kho Kho team eyes Olympic inclusion after historic World Cup triumph
Jan 19, 2025
New Delhi [India], January 20 : India's Women's Kho Kho team created history by winning the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup, defeating Nepal 78-40 in a thrilling final held in New Delhi. This monumental victory has placed India at the forefront of the global Kho Kho stage and inspired dreams of taking the sport to the Olympics.
Captain Priyanka Ingle expressed her pride and joy after leading the team to glory on Sunday.
"I am very happy. When I was chosen as captain, I felt very proud. It will be in the history books that I am the first captain to win the World Cup. Our next targets are the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and the biggest dream is to get Kho Kho into the 2036 Olympics. Our federation is working very hard for this. Nepal's team was also very good, and we had fun playing against them. They really worked hard," she said while speaking to ANI.
Veteran player Nasreen Shaikh reflected on the significance of the victory and her plans for the future.
"Our game was played in the capital of our country, in Delhi, and we won here. In this team, the old captain and the young captain led together, which was great. I have a dream that Kho Kho reaches the Olympics. Now, I want to retire from international play. I always wanted to participate in the World Cup and win a medal for the country. Today, I have fulfilled that dream," Nasreen shared.
Nirmala Bhati highlighted the team's dedication and the growing prominence of Kho Kho.
"I am very happy. We worked very hard to become world champions. We worked hard for the last one month. The whole stadium was cheering 'India, India.' Kho Kho has reached a high level now. This is the first World Cup, and 23 countries participated. Our ultimate goal is to take Kho Kho to the Olympics," she said.
Another team member, Chaitra B, kept it simple but powerful, saying, "We won the first World Cup. I am so happy."
This historic win not only marks a major milestone for India in Kho Kho but also fuels the ambition of taking the sport to even greater heights on the global stage.
