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Indian Kho-Kho player Nasreen Shaikh expressed her feelings as her team entered the quarterfinals of Kho Kho World Cup 2025 on Wednesday.
"It was great. Our plan was successful. It has been going well so far. There are good teams, and several of them are such that they can beat India. So, it feels good that a game of India is gaining such fame. This is my 7th international tournament. It was my dream to play in the World Cup. I would like to thank (Kho Kho Federation president) Sudhanshu Mittal who provided such a platform. It feels proud, I can't express my feelings in words," Nasreen Shaikh told ANI after the win. Fresh from their historic 175-18 demolition of South Korea, the Indian women's Kho Kho team secured their quarter-final berth with another commanding performance, overwhelming Iran by 84 points at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The Women in Blue, demonstrating their tournament favourites' status, dominated proceedings from the opening seconds to cement their position atop their group, as they scored 100-16 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The match began with India's trademark aggressive start, as they eliminated Iran's first batch within 33 seconds. Ashwini spearheaded the attack, while Meenu continued her brilliant form with multiple touchpoints, helping India amass an impressive 50 points in Turn 1. The onslaught continued through all four Turns, highlighted by a remarkable 6-minute-8-second Dream Run in Turn 3, which effectively sealed the match. Led by Wazir Nirmala's tactical brilliance and contributions from skipper Priyanka Ingle, Nirmala Bhati and Nasreen, Team India demonstrated their championship credentials with another emphatic victory, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the tournament. Sumit Bhatia, team India's head coach also expressed his feelings as the hosts entered the quarterfinals-finals of the competition. "We had targetted to hit a century today. Our defenders played very well. My team has met my expectations. They hit a century like I had expected. The experience is good so far," Sumit Bhatia said. Match Awards: Best Attacker of the match: Mobina Best Defender of the match: Meenu Best Player of the match: Priyanka Ingle. (ANI)
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