Key Points

The five-day championship, which kicked off on Monday will run until April 4 at the District Sports Complex in Puri, is witnessing intense competition among teams from 30 states, along with premier institutional squads such as the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Maharashtra Police, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Karnataka Police, All India Police Sports Control Board (AIPSCB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Railways. The event is being telecast live on DD Sports.

“40 men’s and 40 women’s teams would contest making it an event with the highest participation from teams in the history of Kho Kho Nationals. Further, Odisha bags the credit for being the first state where all the scheduled matches in the Nationals will be played exclusively on mat,” said Sudhanshu Mittal, president of Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI).

Furthermore, a Decision Review System (DRS) has also been introduced for the first time in the Kho Kho Nationals for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals matches. Also, the format of matches is the same as that in the Kho Kho World Cup 2025.

“For the first time, the eight teams reaching the quarterfinals will be felicitated,” added Mittal. Also present at the press conference were MS Tyagi, general secretary of KKFI, Pradyumna Mishra, secretary of the Odisha Kho Kho Association, former Puri MLA Jayant Kumar Sarangi, and other dignitaries.

With a total of 190 matches - including 160 league and 30 knockout games - the championship holds special significance as the first major national event following the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, held in January in New Delhi where India asserted its dominance by securing victory in both the men’s and women’s categories.

- IANS