How Poland Women’s Kho Kho Captain’s Volleyball Skills are Giving Her an Edge at the World Cup

Dagmara Skirzynska, 22, embarked on her athletic journey at the age of nine in Gdansk, Poland, with an initial interest in volleyball. During her childhood, she participated in competitions at the school level and later pursued volleyball at the university level. However, three years ago, Dagmara encountered Kho Kho when a representative from Satyam, a management firm, came to her university, presenting her with the sport.

“I’m playing Kho Kho for about three years now. It all started when someone from Satyam visited our university. Satyam is a management organization, and it has various cohorts involved in it. So, that’s how it began,” she expressed, as reported in a Kho Kho World Cup announcement.

Currently, Dagmara is in India, captaining the Polish national team in the first Kho Kho World Cup. Although she is of shorter stature, she had previously played as a libero in volleyball, a role that facilitated her seamless shift to Kho Kho.

“It’s an exhilarating game and something novel for me in Poland. It evokes memories of games we played in my childhood, similar to those in a Polish barrack. The gameplay closely resembles Kho Kho, so I figured trying it would be enjoyable,” she commented.

She added, “The coordination skills from volleyball are highly beneficial. In volleyball, when attackers are going to spike, you must anticipate the next move. The same applies to Kho Kho—you need to think about your upcoming actions. Playing as a libero focuses on speed, agility, and quickness; all these attributes are essential for being a successful Kho Kho athlete. Therefore, the transition has been very smooth for me. ”

Dagmara is also advancing her education in physical education at Gdansk University. Alongside her academic pursuits, she serves as a physical education instructor at a primary school, where she encourages her students to engage with Kho Kho.

“I am currently pursuing my studies and simultaneously working as a physical education teacher in a primary school. I teach physical education from the first grade to the eighth grade. I have been promoting Kho Kho, and the children are genuinely enthusiastic about it. We believe Kho Kho has a promising future globally,” she stated.

Although Team Poland has yet to kick off their campaign in the ongoing Kho Kho World Cup 2025, Dagmara mentioned that their training sessions have been effective, despite the severe winter conditions in Poland.

“It can be quite tough. Right now, it’s approximately 1 degree Celsius, and snow is falling as if it’s Christmas. We practice indoors because it’s too cold to play outside, and we’ve had productive training sessions. We are prepared for the tournament,” she concluded.