Archana pradhan

Senior National Kho Kho Championship: The 57th Senior National Kho Kho Championship concluded in Puri today with Maharashtra clinching the Women’s Championship title after a nail-biting encounter against host Odisha. Railways emerged victorious in the Men’s category, defeating defending champions Maharashtra in an electrifying contest.

In the women’s final, Maharashtra edged past Odisha 25-21 in a high-octane contest. Odisha won the toss and chose to defend first, but Maharashtra launched a strong attack, restricting the hosts to just 2 dream run points. When it was Maharashtra’s turn to defense, they fielded a solid trio comprising captain Ashwini Shinde, Priyanka Ingle, and Sandhya Survase. Ashwini Shinde’s performance stood out as she held her ground impressively until the final 2 minutes and 50 seconds of the first inning.

At the end of the first inning, the scores were tied at 10-10, raising the stakes for the second half. In the second inning, Odisha’s defenders struggled to resist Maharashtra’s aggressive gameplay, with six defenders being ousted in quick succession. When Maharashtra returned to defend, Sampada More put on a stellar performance, holding her ground effectively and ensuring her team maintained the lead till the end, securing the victory at 25-21.