Pokhara (Nepal): The Indian men and women's kho kho players reigned supreme as they finished champions for the second consecutive time at the 13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
The 2016 gold medallists crushed the Bangladesh men's team in the finals for the second consecutive time as the women's team led by Delhi's Nasreen, also successfully defended their title against the hosts, Nepal.
The Indian men registered their victory with an innings and seven points win and a scoreline of 16-9. Deepak Madhav was the hero of the day as he scored five crucial wickets for the team as he also stayed on the mat for more than two minutes.
"This is a very special win for the team. We entered the tournament with confidence and have followed the game plan. I am really happy that I could personally contribute in the medal win for the team," said Madhav who belongs to Maharashtra.
In the women's final, captain Nasreen led from the front as she chased down five points while her teammate Maharashtra's Kajal Bhor also made a vital contribution claiming five points. Eventually, they wrapped up the match 17-5 to finish top of the podium with an innings and 12 points win.
While India won gold in both the categories last edition's silver medallist Bangladesh had a repeat finish on the podium in the men's event with Nepal finishing third. In the women category, Nepal secured the second spot while Bangladesh ended the campaign with a bronze medal.