The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup began in grand style with India’s men’s team defeating Nepal 42-37 in the opening match. The match was played on Monday at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. Led by captain Pratik Waikar, India took an early lead, wrapping up Nepal’s first three defenders within the first 60 seconds of the game. The hosts surged ahead with a commanding 14-point lead, finishing Turn 1 with a dominating performance spearheaded by Waikar and Ramji Kashyap.
India’s Sachin Bhargo replaced Waikar as the ‘Wazir’, and further boosted the team’s score with a spectacular skydive to take India’s tally to 24 touchpoints at the break. The men’s team will now face Brazil in their next match on Tuesday. The Indian women’s team begins their campaign against South Korea.
Grand Opening Ceremony of Kho Kho
The India-Nepal match was preceded by an extravagant opening ceremony, attended by high-profile dignitaries such as Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha. The ceremony kicked off with a sand art projection paying tribute to Mother Earth, followed by colorful dance performances and the unveiling of the World Cup trophy by the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI).
Vice President Dhankar lit the torch, symbolizing the start of the historic event, and expressed his confidence that Kho Kho would soon reach the international stage. “This momentous occasion will go down in our golden history of sports,” Dhankar said, emphasizing the growing popularity of Indigenous sports worldwide.
Global Participation and Future Prospects
The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup features 20 men’s teams and 19 women’s teams, with India competing in both events. Originally, Pakistan was also set to participate, but could not attend due to visa issues. Canada, which had been invited, withdrew due to escalating tensions with India.
Sports Minister Mandaviya voiced hopes that Kho Kho would be included in future Asian Games and the Olympics. “Kho Kho, which originated from India, is now being played across 50 countries,” he remarked. Olympic chief Usha also praised the Kho Kho Federation for turning this dream into reality and expressed her hope that the World Cup would reignite interest in India’s indigenous sports.
