Indian Women storm into Kho Kho World Cup final with win over South Africa
New Delhi: The Indian women's once again showcased their tactical prowess, outplaying South Africa 66-16 in the semifinals of the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup here on Saturday.
The 'Women in Blue' delivered a masterclass in both attack and defense, setting up an exciting final clash with Nepal.
The hosts started off in style with a Dream Run courtesy of Chaithra B, who continued even after Nazia Bibi and Nirmala Bhati were caught by the defenders. She single-handedly scored 5 points before being eliminated by South Africa's Sinethemba Mosia.
This was enough to take them close to the South Africans' 8 points at the end of Turn 1, giving them the perfect start to the match.
Turn 2 saw Reshma in full form as the Indian women got the South African players in multiple batches, scoring crucial points on their way. This proved important for the side, as the score read 33-10 in favor of the Women in Blue.
A Dream Run for the Indian women's team in their second match closed out Turn 3, as Vaishnavi Powar, Nasreen Shaikh, and Bhilardevi went on for a good 5 minutes. Their 5 points headlined the third turn as the score stood at 38-16, giving them a strong platform heading into the final 7 minutes of their semifinal clash.
The longest batch for the South Africans in Turn 4 lasted just 1 minute and 45 seconds as the Indians sealed their place in the final.
Nepal Women qualified for the finals by beating Uganda 89-18 in their semifinal clash.
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Opposition raking up Dalit CM issue to divert attention: Karnataka Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday accused the opposition of "unnecessarily stoking" the debate over a Dalit Chief Minister to deflect attention from governance.
He asserted that only the Congress has the commitment to elevate a Dalit leader to the top post.
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the ongoing discussion on a Dalit Chief Minister was being amplified by opposition parties.
“This is the work of the opposition. To hide their own failures, they are raising the issue of the Chief Minister. Isn’t the administration running smoothly? Isn’t the Chief Minister governing?” he asked.
The Minister noted that for the past 10–12 days, detailed budget discussions had been held across departments and governance was progressing normally.
Parameshwara, who is a Dalit, said the Congress alone had the history and political will to make a Dalit Chief Minister.
“Yes, it must be the Congress party. Who else will do it?” he said, while clarifying that the timing of any such decision would be determined by the party high command.
On Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s media statement targeting the JD(S) and invoking social justice, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah had earlier been part of the JD(S) and even served as its president before being expelled.
He noted that the internal history of that party was best known to those within it and declined to comment on specific internal matters.
Defending the Chief Minister’s ideological position, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah’s politics had always been rooted in social justice and that there was nothing new or opportunistic about his stance.
The Chief Minister, he said, had consistently built his political career on that foundation.
