The seventh edition of the Carrom World Cup 2025 was a witness to India’s triumphant victory and dominating performance by its players. Tamil Nadu’s L Keerthana bagged three gold medals in the women’s singles, doubles, and team events, respectively. Other Indian women players in the event were Kajal Kumari, M Khazima, and V Mithra.
The tournament was held at the Barcelo Nasandhura Hotel in Male, Maldives, from December 2 to 6, with over 150 players from across 17 nations participating. The success of the event has catered to the global appeal of sports like carrom, as part of the International Carrom Federation.
Maldives, the host nation, won a silver in the women’s team and other events finals. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka ended with the bronze. The event saw the Indian women’s players dominating the finals. Their success in the World Cup has cemented India’s status in the Commonwealth Games.
The board game saw the Indian dominance from Keerthana, who hails from Chennai’s Kasimedu. The women’s athlete stood out in her performances, starting with claiming the women’s singles title after defeating her compatriot Kajal Kumari. Her prominence followed in the women’s team event, where she was joined by Kajal, Khazima, and Mithra.
The Indian team edged past Maldives in the finals to win the gold. Later, in the women’s doubles, Keerthana and Kajal got another gold win for India after defeating the Maldives pair, who ended with a silver in the event.
Besides Keerthana, Khazima won the gold from the team event, bronze from the singles event, and a silver medal as well. On the other hand, Mithra got the gold medal as part of the team event and also added a silver medal.
Following the victory and her return back to Chennai, Keerthana requested a plea for a government job and a house concerning her family’s hardships, and was backed by Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, who provided her Rs 1.5 lakh in support.
Keerthana’s journey is a testament to hardship that reflects her dedication and perseverance and the gap in providing benefits and amenities to grassroot talents. From training on local carrom boards to getting the chance to play and represent India on the international stage, the Indian player’s story is nothing less than inspirational.
Her plea for fairness and rewards for the Indian champions through fostering amenities like government jobs and homes is aimed towards prosperity in sport.
