Indians devised the ancient tag game known as kho kho. Teams of 12 out of the 15 nominees compete in the game. Three additional players (defending team) attempt to avoid being touched by members of the opposing team as the remaining nine of these players enter the field and kneel on their knees (chasing team). Kho Kho is the second most-played traditional tag game in India after Kabaddi. The sport is played by the Indian community in South Africa as well as in India. Keep in mind that the Sanskrit verb root syu-, which means “get up and go,” appears to be the source of the name “Kho.” Many excellent players are the reason Kho Kho rose from the streets to the national spotlight. We have curated a list of the Top 5 Famous Kho Kho Players in India.
About Kho-Kho
In addition to encouraging numerous positive character traits like speed, agility, strategy, and quick thinking, this game also encourages sportsmanship, teamwork, loyalty, competition, and self-esteem. The athlete who accepts the challenge has a tool for personal development in the game itself.
The first Kho Kho competition ever was conducted in 1914. The inaugural National Championship under the 1955-established KKFI was contested in 1959.
Rules of Game
This game pits Team A and Team B against each other.
Two team captains toss the ball to begin the game. The victorious captain chooses whether Team A or Team B will pursue. There are 12 players on each squad. If Team A chooses to chase after winning the toss. Team A’s nine players enter the playing area. In a straight line in the middle of the court, facing the opposing direction, all nine players sit or kneel. Two innings of nine-minute running and chasing turns make up a game.
Know The Top 5 Famous Kho Kho Players in India
Satish Rai: Kho Kho Players
One of the most well-known kho-kho players is Satish Rai. The only thing that is known about him is his prodigious gaming abilities. He was a tough, physically fit, committed, and careful player.
The newly established Indian Kho-Kho Federation plans to hold a world championship in the sport in 2010 that would be modeled after the American Baseball World Series. A group of fans of Kho-Kho decided to assist the federation and promote the traditional sport. Satish Rai spoke to the media about the advantages of the strategy while actively promoting and supporting the series.
Additionally, Satish Rai is the most significant and outstanding Indian player in kho kho. He is a key participant. He was a longtime player who garnered numerous medals.
Sarika Kale: Kho Kho Players
The women’s kho-kho team from India was recently led to victory by captain Sarika Kale in the 12th South Asian Games (SAG) in Guwahati. Sarika first played kho-kho when she was ten years old and became interested in the sport. She eventually became an expert player, representing her state of Maharashtra in 25 national championships.
The renowned kho-kho player was having trouble finding employment in 2016. The Railways had a men’s kho-kho squad, but no female kho-kho players had been added. Devarajan, an Arjuna recipient and Olympian who won the bronze medal at the 1994 Boxing World Cup in Bangkok commented on this.
Sarika has always been certain that if the corporate sector gets involved, her sport will flourish, much like kabaddi.
Pankaj Malhotra: Kho Kho Players
The well-known Indian Kho-Kho player Pankaj Malhotra is a dominant competitor with a long list of accomplishments. He was raised in Jammu Kashmir’s Sainik Colony, where he first became interested in sports at an early age. In the 2018 India-Nepal Kho-Kho 5-Match Series, he represented India as the captain of the Jammu Kashmir State Kho-Kho Team.
At Green Field Gandhi Nagar in Jammu, he received instruction from renowned instructors Ajay Gupta and Dheeraj Sharma in all facets of the game. S. Manmeet Singh, president of the J&K Kho-Kho Association, S. Harjeet Singh, secretary, and BS Tirthi, treasurer, commended the ace player’s efforts for his success. They also praised Pankaj’s trainers for their excellent conditioning and training.
Mandakini Majhi
The well-known Kho Kho player from Odisha is known by the moniker Mandakini Majhi, often known as the Odisha girl. She joined the Indian Women’s Kho Kho squad and competed in the Guwahati-hosted 12th South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in 2016.
Being from a low-income household, Majhi found it difficult to choose kho-kho as a sport. But she persisted in overcoming the challenges and ascended the success ladder.
Mandakini competed on behalf of her state at the Maharashtra-based 46th Senior National Kho-Kho Championship in 2012. She participated in the 33rd Junior National Kho-Kho Championship as well as the 59th National School Games, both of which were held in Delhi in 2013. Mandakini finished second with her squad in the 2014 19th East Zone National Kho-Kho Championship. Her squad finished third in Rajasthan that year at the Junior National Kho-Kho Championship. She also exhibited for Odisha in the 2015 National Games.
The first Odiya female to be included in the Indian kho-kho team for the competition, Mandakini won a gold medal in 2016 together with her team.
She also won a gold medal in the Indian kho-kho team’s “12th SAF Game-2016” competition and is the first woman from Odia to do so.
Praveen Kumar
One of the most brilliant and well-known Kho Kho players is from Mysore, Karnataka, and is named Praveen Kumar. He significantly contributed to the University of Mysore’s (UoM) victory in the city’s hosting of the South Zone and All India Inter-University Men’s Kho-Kho Championships (2017–18).
When Praveen was in middle school (Biagini Seva Samaj), he first played Kho-Kho. Later, he continued to play the sport he loved while attending Sarada Vilas High School. Yogesh of Pioneers SC and other experienced players urged him to play the game seriously.
Praveen finished his M.Com degree at Manasagangothri in Mysuru. In the interim, he competed twice for Karnataka in the Senior National Kho-Kho Championships. He was a member of the 2013–14 Karnataka Senior team that took home the silver medal. The group finished third in the Senior Nationals, which were held in Telangana in 2015.
Praveen was a member of the squad that finished third in the All India Inter-University level in 2016–17.
