The Kho Kho World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from January 13 to 19, 2025, at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, will have a change of guard in its opening match. The original fixture had India taking on Pakistan, but the hosts will now play Nepal as the Pakistan team’s visas have not been issued so far. At present, the Pakistan team has not received their visas and, hence, have withdrawn from the much-anticipated fixture.
Pakistan is yet to receive its visas, says Sudhanshu Mittal, President of Kho Kho Federation of India, while speaking with Indian Express. “The Pakistan team is still awaiting their visas,” he shared with the Indian Express. Pakistan did not take part in either of the men and women’s category due to which they could not participate in the competition because of this visa problem. According to the official statement by the KFFI.
COO of Kho Kho World Cup, Geeta Sudan said was frustrated by that. “This is not the way we could have expected after making the schedule. This also is not really something in our hand, because I think the application of their men’s team made to the MEA hasn’t been approved,” she said.
Pakistan will be absent from the event, but 39 teams from all over the world are participating in the tournament: 20 in the men’s competition and 19 in the women’s. The Indian men will begin the tournament by facing Nepal at 8:30 PM IST on January 13 while women’s action will begin a day after when England will face Australia at 11:45 AM IST.
The group stages for both categories will go on till January 16, and the playoffs will begin on January 17. The finals for both men and women will be held on January 19, promising a week of exciting, high-stakes Kho Kho action.
The competition celebrates the global appeal of Kho Kho and showcases the sport’s rich cultural heritage and athleticism. Fans can expect a thrilling atmosphere in New Delhi as the tournament unfolds.
