Indian men's team clinches inaugural Kho Kho World Cup title after women's victory
New Delhi: The Indian men's team beat Nepal 54-36 in the final to win the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup title here on Sunday.
The Indian men's team title came after the women's side were also crowned the champions after defeating Nepal in the final.
The Men in Blue dominated the final against Nepal with captain Pratik Waikar and tournament standout Ramji Kashyap leading from the front.
Attacking first, an exceptional sky dive by Ramji Kashyap got Nepal's Suraj Pujara. Suyash Gargate then touched Bharat Sahu to give India a great start with 10 points in just four minutes.
Sky dives were the name of the game for the Men in Blue, and this ensured a bright start for the side in Turn 1, preventing the Dream Run for their opponents. At the end of the turn, the scoreline was 26-0 in favour of the Indians.
In Turn 2, Nepal were not able to match India's levels but did prevent the home side from going on a single Dream Run.
Aditya Ganpule and skipper Pratik Waikar carried the team through this turn, and despite regular touches from the likes of Janak Chand and Suraj Pujara, India carried a 26-18 lead into the second half of the clash.
India were in their stride in Turn 3, displaying unwavering confidence throughout. Captain Pratik Waikar shone on the mat with multiple sky dives, and with the support of Ramji Kashyap, another star of the tournament.
Aditya Ganpule was also at his finest, and the home team's collective effort took the score to 54-18 entering the final turn of the match -- and the tournament.
Nepal fought hard in Turn 4 in their bid to come back against India. But the defenders, once again led by Pratik Waikar and Sachin Bhargo proved too strong. Mehul and Suman Barman were equally impressive.
India showcased their dominance throughout the tournament, beginning with convincing victories over Brazil, Peru and Bhutan in the group stages. Their momentum continued through the knockout rounds, where they outclassed Bangladesh in the quarterfinals before overcoming a strong South African side in the semifinals.
MEN'S & WOMEN'S KHO KHO TEAM WON THE WORLD CUP
— SPORTS ARENA🇮🇳 (@SportsArena1234) January 19, 2025
Men's Kho Kho Team won the title defeating 🇳🇵 54-36.
Women's Kho Kho Team clinched the World Cup title defeating 🇳🇵 74-40. pic.twitter.com/9ruJ79IKJ6
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'I am being framed', claims convict Sanjay Roy in court ahead of sentencing in RG Kar case
Kolkata (PTI): Sanjay Roy, convicted of the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Monday claimed in a court here that he was innocent and had been "wrongly held guilty".
Roy was on Saturday held guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death in August last year.
"I am being framed and have not committed any crime. I have not done anything, and still, I have been held guilty," Roy told the court ahead of sentencing in the case.
"I was beaten up in the prison and was forced to sign papers," he added.
Roy was convicted by Judge Anirban Das of the Additional District and Sessions Court, Sealdah under Sections 64, 66, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Saturday.
During the proceedings, the CBI lawyer pleaded for the highest penalty for the convict, calling the crime "rarest of the rare".
"We pray for the highest penalty to maintain people's faith in society," the agency's counsel told the court.
The defence lawyer of Roy argued that the prosecution must provide evidence, which can prove that there is no possibility of reform of the convict.
The defence lawyer prayed for “an alternative punishment other than the death penalty” to allow his reformation.
The lawyer representing the parents of the deceased doctor prayed for the maximum punishment, arguing that Roy, being a civic volunteer, was entrusted with the security of the hospital, but had himself committed the heinous crime on the victim he was supposed to protect.
The hearing of the convict's self-defence and other stakeholders concluded at around 1 pm, and the Judge stated that the sentence would be pronounced at 2:45 pm.
