Hosts India completed a double when they won the men’s and women’s title.
THE ancient game of kho kho is enjoying a resurgence in India, with organisers of the first international tournament hoping their efforts will secure the sport’s place in the Olympics.
Kho kho, a catch-me-if-you-can tag sport, has been played for more than 2,000 years across southern Asia but only saw its rules formalised in the early 20th century.
It was played as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but did not gather enough support to be included in the Summer Games and since then has been largely eclipsed by India’s ferocious love of cricket.
Nearly a century later, enthusiasts have sought to raise its profile with the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup featuring teams from 23 nations competing in India’s capital New Delhi.
In this photograph taken on January 8, 2025, members of India's women's kho kho team take part in selection trials ahead of the upcoming Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi. The ancient game of kho kho is enjoying a resurgence in India, with organisers of the first international tournament hoping their efforts will secure the sport's place in the Olympics. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP) / To go with IND-KhoKho, FOCUS by Faisal KAMAL
The hosts completed the double as the men followed the women in lifting silverware at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Up against Nepal in the final, the Indian men’s team won 54-36 to live up to the expectations of a buoyant crowd. Captain Pratik Waikar, who hails from Pune in Maharashtra, was one of the star performers for the men’s team.
Earlier in the day, the Indian women’s team eased past Nepal 78-40 in the final.
The tournament’s opening ceremony saw a gala of song, dance and an Olympic-style team parade, reflecting the aspirations of organisers and athletes to take the sport global.
In this photograph taken on January 8, 2025, members of India's men's kho kho team take part in selection trials ahead of the upcoming Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP) / To go with with a FOCUS by Faisal KAMAL
“My elder sister played the sport, but was not able to pursue her dreams,” said Indian women’s team player Nasreen Shaikh, 26.
“We have crossed the first barrier of playing in a World Cup. The next big step would be an entry in the Olympics.”
Kho kho is traditionally played outside on a rectangular court, divided in two by a line that connects two poles at either end of the field.
Teams switch between attack and defence, with the former chasing and tagging defending players around the field.
Pratik Waikar (centre), captain of India’s men’s kho kho team, takes part in selection trials for the Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi. — AFP
Only one player can give chase at a time and attacking players can only move in one direction around the court, forcing them to tag in teammates crouched on the centre line to take over pursuit.
The match is won by whichever team can gain the most points, primarily by tagging defenders faster than the opposing team.
The franchise-based Ultimate Kho Kho League, founded in 2022, brought the sport off grassy fields and onto indoor mats, also boosting its profile with a television audience.
Since then the league has become the third most-watched non-cricket sports tournament in the world’s most populous country after the Pro Kabaddi League – another ancient Indian tag sport – and the Indian Super League football competition.
“The turning point was when it transitioned from mud to mat. It made it into a global game,” said Kho Kho Federation of India president Sudhanshu Mittal.
“Today we are in 55 countries... Native players in countries like Germany, Brazil, and Kenya are embracing the game because of its speed, agility and minimal equipment required.”
Mittal said he expected the sport to gain a foothold in dozens more countries by the end of the year, giving it a strong claim to be featured in the Olympics in the coming decade.
That would coincide with India’s audacious bid to host the 2036 Games in the city of Ahmedabad, 100 years after kho kho last appeared at the Olympics.
The United States, England and Australia were among the nations that competed in this month’s World Cup in New Delhi, with expatriate Indians heavily represented after taking the game to foreign shores.
But Pakistan is a glaring omission from the competition despite the sport being popular there – a reflection of the deep animosity between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals.
World Cup organisers refused to comment on the absence, which failed to dim the sense of optimism at the competition that the sport is destined to thrive.
“There has been a sea change in the sport,” said Pratik, 32.
“Cricket has a rich history and they developed it well by going live on TV, and now our sport has also gone live,” he said. “In the next five years it will be on another level.” — AFP
