"Feel blessed": India's Gowtham MK after reaching Kho Kho World Cup 2025 final

New Delhi [India], January 19 (ANI): The Indian men's Kho Kho team has secured a spot in the World Cup 2025 finals after a thrilling 62-42 victory over South Africa at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Saturday. The team will face Nepal in the final on Sunday, January 19.
After entering the finals after defeating South Africa, Indian players Sachin Bhargo and Gowtham MK expressed their feelings.
"We are in the finals and I feel blessed... We never thought they'd (South African team) be leading after the third turn. It was against our plan. It was a tough match. We didn't expect it, but it was a good game. They played well... Immediately after winning this match, the Captain told us to focus, so we are following his guidance," Gowtham MK said while speaking to ANI.
Further, another India Kho Kho player, Sachin Bhargo shared his thoughts after entering the finals.
"The team, our coaches, and our families are all very happy. We will continue to play matches according to the team's planning and we will win. We played fast against Sri Lanka, because of which 2-3 of our players got injured. That's why we played a safe game (against the South African team) to avoid injuries before the final," Sachin Bhargo said.
"We are in the finals and I feel blessed... We never thought they'd (South African team) be leading after the third turn. It was against our plan. It was a tough match. We didn't expect it, but it was a good game. They played well... Immediately after winning this match, the Captain told us to focus, so we are following his guidance," Gowtham MK said.
The match showcased exceptional defensive prowess and strategic gameplay from both sides before India pulled away in the decisive final turn.
A strong start from the South Africans prevented Pratik Waikar and Aditya Ganpule from going on a Dream Run, with a lot of the credit going to their Wazir. Their attackers then got Mehul and Sachin Bhargo in a tough fight for batch two, but Aniket Pote dragged his batch to 2 minutes and 38 seconds. This summed up Turn 1, as the South Africans managed to score 18 points, a release from Kho Kho World Cup 2025 stated.
An attacking Indian team came back hard in Turn 2, with Nikhil B in fine form as they had a tough fight on their hands. With just 14 points compared to the South Africans' 20 points, Aditya Ganpule and Gowtham M got the team back into the game with their expansive play, ensuring the score was 24-20 at the end of Turn 2.
Khozi of South Africa was the main threat to the Indian defenders in Turn 3. He ensured that the Men in Blue were all out within 2 minutes to prevent the Dream Run, equalizing the score in the process. Ramji Kashyap, Pabani Sabar, and Suyash Gargate improved this time to 2 minutes and 30 seconds for batch 2, as the South Africans increased the lead to 38. As Turn 3 came to an end, the score was at 42-28, setting up an exciting final turn in the search for a place in the final.
Akash Kumar got Khoza and Mehul to give India an extremely important start to Turn 4. With 5 minutes and 10 seconds left on the clock, the score difference was just 4 points, but the skipper and Wazir Pratik Waikar got Khoza with an exceptional skydive. It was at this point that Mehul turned up the heat with a move that took them above their opponents. The match eventually ended with an impressive scoreline of 62-42, despite a tough fight from the South Africans.
The Indian team will face Nepal in the final at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Sunday, January 19.
The Nepal Men qualified for the finals of the Men's division of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 after beating IR Iran 72-29 in their semifinal clash. (ANI)