India men's national kho kho team
 | |
| Association | Kho Kho Federation of India |
|---|---|
| Confederation | International Kho Kho Federation |
| Head Coach | Ashwani Kumar Sharma |
| Captain | Pratik Waikar |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2025) |
| Best result |  (2025) |
The India men's national kho kho team represents India in men's international Kho Kho. It is governed by the Kho Kho Federation of India and is a member of International Kho Kho Federation.
One of the first major events for the Indian team is the first Kho Kho World Cup as host nation.[1][2]
History
[edit]India men's team defeated Nepal men's team in the first ever Kho Kho World Cup match in 2025.[3][4]
The Indian team were placed in Group A and defeated Nepal, Brazil, Peru and Bhutan in the group stages. In the quarterfinals, India defeated Bangladesh and beat South Africa 62-42 in the semifinals. In the finals, India defeated Nepal 54-36 to lift their maiden World Cup.
Sponsorship
[edit]The Indian National kho kho teams are sponsored by the Odisha state government for a period of three years from January 2025 to December 2027. Odisha committed Rs 5 crore per year for a total of Rs.15 crore for three years.[5]
Format
[edit]It was played under the seven-a-side fast format used for Ultimate Kho Kho.[6] The teams were split into four groups, and there were two stages: the group stage, followed by the knockout stage.[7]
Group Stage
[edit]- In the group stage of the men's tournament, teams were divided into four groups of five teams for the initial round-robin phase, with each team competing against others in their group to determine standings. A total of 40 matches were played in this stage.
Knockout Stage
[edit]- In the knockout stage of both men's and women's tournaments, the top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage, including quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final match.
Prizes
[edit]There were no cash prizes, but the teams were honored with trophies, medals, and other recognitions.[8]
Background
[edit]The trophy and mascots for the inaugural edition were unveiled on 3 January 2025 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.[9] The blue trophy is for the men's competition while the green trophy is for the women's.[10]
Participants
[edit]The event witnessed the participation of 23 countries from six continents, featuring 20 men's and 19 women's teams.[7] Each squad had 15 players, one coach, one manager and international technical officials.[11]
Canada (men's team only) and Pakistan had been due to participate, but the Canadian team pulled out due to worsening Canada–India relations,[12] while the Pakistani team was not granted visas.[13] In total, 35 countries sought to participate, but restrictions were in place to ensure continental balance.[14]
Men's tournament
[edit]
Results and fixtures
[edit]The following is a list of match results, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2025
[edit]
|
|
|
|
- Quarter-final 1
|
- Semi-final 1
|
- Final
|
Current squad
[edit]Following is the team that represented India in the first Kho Kho World Cup in January 2025 at Delhi.[15]
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Position | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pratik Kiran Waikar | 27 March 1992 | Wazir | Maharashtra |
| 6 | Ramji Harishchandra Kashyap | 2 March 2003 | All rounder | Maharashtra |
| 3 | Sachin Bhargo | 15 May 2000 | Wazir | Madhya Pradesh |
| 8 | Suyash Vishwas Gargate | 8 June 1997 | All rounder | Maharashtra |
| 12 | Sinam Rokeson Singh | Attacker | Manipur | |
| 5 | Gowtham M. K. | 1997 | Defender | Karnataka |
| 53 | Nikhil B. | 2001 | All rounder | Kerala |
| 67 | Pabani Sabar | 17 October 2024 | All rounder | Odisha |
| 19 | Aditya Prashant Ganpule | 2004 | All rounder | |
| 4 | Akash Kumar | 2002 | Attacker | Uttar Pradesh |
| 10 | Pothi Reddy Siva Reddy | 1996 | All rounder | Andhra Pradesh |
| 23 | Subramani V. | 2002 | All rounder | Tamil Nadu |
| 1 | Aniket Bhagwan Pote | 7 November 1996 | All rounder | Maharashtra |
| 9 | Sumon Barman | 29 December 2004 | All rounder | West Bengal |
| 55 | Mehul Taak | 2002 | All rounder | New Delhi |
Standby players: Akshay Bangare, Rajvardhan Shankar Patil and Vishwanath Janakiram.[16]
Chief coach: Ashwani Kumar Sharma[17]
As of 13 January 2025
References
[edit]- ^ "First-ever Kho Kho World Cup to Take Place in India Next Year". News18. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "India to host first-ever Kho Kho World Cup in 2025 - The Economic Times". m.economictimes.com. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ IND vs NEP : 13 Jan Result
- ^ "Kho Kho World Cup kicks off today: Nepal to face India in opener". Retrieved 13 January 2025.
- ^ Nayak, Subadh (19 January 2025). "Historic Victory! Indian men's and women's teams become first ever Kho Kho World Cup Champions". KalingaTV.com. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "General 4". International Kho Kho Federation. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ a b Kho Kho World Cup 2025: India to host historic first edition in New Delhi - full schedule olympics.com
- ^ "India-Pakistan Clash To Kick Off Inaugural Kho Kho World Cup 2025 in New Delhi". News18. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Trophy, mascots Tara and Tejas unveiled in Delhi ahead of inaugural edition". India TV. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ "Inaugural Kho Kho World Cup 2025 Trophies and Mascots Revealed". Adda247. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ "US, England, Germany, Australia Among 41 Teams For Inaugural Kho Kho World Cup". www.msn.com. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Canada pull out of Kho Kho World Cup". The Tribune. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ "Pakistan likely to miss inaugural Kho Kho World Cup in India due to visa delay". Firstpost. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ "Kho-kho nurtures Olympic dreams for 2036, a 100 years since it showed up as Demo sport at Berlin Games of 1936". The Indian Express. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ "Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) - KKFI Official Website". Kho Kho Federation. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- ^ "KKFI Announces Robust Team India Squad For Kho Kho World Cup 2025 | Other Sports News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ Nalwala, Ali Asgar (12 January 2025). "Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Historic edition to unfold in New Delhi - India squads, where to watch live". Olympics.com. Retrieved 10 March 2025.