TNI Bureau: Odisha Juggernauts snatched the title of the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho after beating Telugu Yoddhas by 46-45 in a nerve racking finale. The final match was held at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Pune in Maharashtra today.
Suraj Lande’s thrilling sky dive helped Juggernauts get the trophy. After Telugu Yoddhas, added 21 points in the third turn to take 41-27 lead, Sachin Bhargo provided two crucial points for his side and kept Odisha Juggernauts at bay for 2.44 minutes. After he was dismissed, Telugu Yoddhas were in lead at 45-43 with just 1.24 minutes left in the match.
However, Lande, who tested Telugu Yoddhas’ defense with his 3.03-minute stay in the third round, had other plans for the Odisha Juggernauts. With just 14 seconds left in the game, he took down Avdhut Patil with a superb parachute jump that not only gave the Odisha Juggernauts three victory points, but also helped them win the title.
Lande scored nine attacking points for the winning side, while Rohan Shingade secured eleven points for Telugu Yoddhas.
Notably, Odisha Juggernauts received Rs 1 crore as prize money with trophy while the second-placed Telugu Yoddhas took home Rs 50 lakh.