History of Kho Kho

The first systematic study of Kho Kho was initiated in 1914. A committee was constituted by the Deccan Gymkhana Club, Pune, to bring greater discipline, uniformity and structure to the game.

After consulting experts from different parts of the country, the committee recommended several modifications to make the game faster, more organised and more engaging.

During this period, three fundamental rules formed the basis of organised play:

• Kho had to be given from behind a seated Chaser.
• Adjacent seated Chasers had to face in opposite directions.
• An Active Chaser was not permitted to cross the Central Lane by passing between the seated Chasers.

These principles continue to influence the basic structure and character of modern Kho Kho.

In 1924, the Deccan Gymkhana Club of Pune, with the contribution of prominent Indian leaders and sports enthusiasts, including Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Kashinath “Bhai” Nerurkar, prepared one of the earliest formal sets of rules and regulations for Kho Kho.

This stage marked an important transformation of Kho Kho from a traditional recreational activity into a regulated competitive sport. The dimensions and boundaries of the Playing Field began to be standardised.

Poles had not yet been introduced at the ends of the Central Lane. Instead, two Players were positioned at the locations later occupied by the Poles, and the Active Chaser was required to run around them before changing direction and returning towards the central area.

The speed and competitive nature of the game attracted considerable public interest. During this period, Kho Kho was also introduced into inter-school sports competitions, contributing significantly to its development at the grassroots level.

In 1935, the rules of Kho Kho were published in book form for the first time by the Akhil Maharashtra Sharirik Shikshan Mandal.

The organisation, established in 1928, played an important role in the development, promotion and standardisation of traditional Indian sports.

The second edition of the Kho Kho Rule Book was published by the Akhil Maharashtra Sharirik Shikshan Mandal in 1938.

During the same period, an Inter-Zonal Sports Competition was organised at Akola, Maharashtra. The competition received an encouraging response from Players, organisers and sports enthusiasts.

Teams were restricted to nine Players, and the game continued to be played without Poles. At the beginning of a match, Players were required to complete three rounds of the Playing Field from one end to the other before formal play commenced.

Following India’s independence, traditional Indian sports received increased support from the public and government institutions.

The Akhil Bharatiya Kho Kho Mandal was formed during 1955–1956 to coordinate, regulate and promote Kho Kho at the national level. B. Gopala Reddy and Kashinath “Bhai” Nerurkar were among the principal contributors to the establishment of the organisation.

The first National Kho Kho Championship for Men was organised at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, from 25 December 1959 to 1 January 1960.

Five teams participated in the Championship. Maharashtra emerged as the Winner, while Andhra Pradesh finished as the Runner-up.

The first National Kho Kho Championship for Women was organised alongside the Men’s Championship at Kolhapur, Maharashtra, from 13 to 16 April 1961.

In the Men’s category, Maharashtra secured first place and Karnataka finished as the Runner-up.

In the Women’s category, Madhya Pradesh emerged as the Winner and Kolhapur finished as the Runner-up.

Individual awards were introduced during the fifth National Kho Kho Championship held at Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in 1964.

The Ekalavya Award, presented to the best male Player of the tournament, was awarded to Vishwanath Mayekar of Maharashtra.

The Rani Lakshmibai Award, presented to the best female Player of the tournament, was awarded to Usha Anantham of Mysore, Karnataka.

On 30 June 1966, the Kho Kho Federation of India was formally registered with the Registrar of Societies, New Delhi, under Registration No. S.3036 and the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.

The establishment of the Federation provided Kho Kho with a formal national governing structure for the organisation of competitions, development of rules and promotion of the sport.

The first National Kho Kho Championship for Boys under 18 years of age was organised at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, from 26 to 28 November 1970.

The Veer Abhimanyu Award was introduced to recognise the best Player of the tournament.

Kho Kho Players also began receiving recognition through India’s national sporting honours. Sudhir B. Parab of Gujarat received the Arjuna Award in 1970, followed by Achala Suberao Devra of Gujarat in 1971.

In 1972, the National Institute of Sports introduced a one-and-a-half-month Certificate Course in Kho Kho at Patiala, Punjab.

This initiative represented an important step towards the scientific training of coaches and the systematic development of technical knowledge in the sport.

The first National Kho Kho Championship for Girls under 16 years of age was organised at Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, from 26 to 29 December 1974. It was conducted alongside the National Championship for Boys under 18 years of age.

The Janaki Award was introduced to recognise the best female Player of the tournament.

In 1977, the Sports Authority of India introduced a Diploma Course in Kho Kho and Kabaddi at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

From the academic year 2008–2009 onwards, a dedicated Diploma programme in Kho Kho was introduced, strengthening formal education and professional coaching standards in the sport.

The first National Kho Kho Championship for Boys under 14 years and Girls under 12 years was organised at Dhule, Maharashtra, from 27 to 31 December 1980.

The Bharat Award and the Ila Award were introduced for the best Players in the Boys’ and Girls’ categories respectively.

In 1982, the Kho Kho Federation of India introduced an annual Inter-Zonal Championship for Men and Women, known as the Federation Cup.

Kho Kho was also presented as a demonstration sport during the ninth Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982. The demonstration generated interest among representatives of several Asian countries.

Following this exposure, the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports supported the deployment of coaches across the country to promote the scientific development of Kho Kho at the grassroots level.

Kho Kho was demonstrated during the third South Asian Games, then known as the South Asian Federation Games, held in Calcutta, West Bengal, in 1987.

During the same period, the Asian Kho Kho Federation was formed with India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives as its founding Member Countries.

Surjit Singh Manshia and Mukund V. Ambardekar served as the first President and General Secretary respectively.

In the same year, an Indian Kho Kho contingent participated in the Indo-USSR Sports Festival held in Moscow.

Kho Kho was again demonstrated during the seventh South Asian Games held in Madras, Tamil Nadu, in 1995.

The event provided another opportunity to present the sport before athletes, administrators and officials from the South Asian region.

The first Asian Kho Kho Championship was organised in Calcutta, West Bengal, from 21 to 24 September 1996.

For the first time, an international Kho Kho competition was played on a synthetic surface at the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra Indoor Stadium.

Five Men’s teams, including India, participated in the Championship.

The first Netaji Subhas Gold Cup International Kho Kho Tournament was held in Calcutta, West Bengal, from 19 to 22 January 1998.

The competition was organised by the West Bengal Kho Kho Association under the aegis of the national governing body.

The second edition of the tournament was held at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, from 27 to 29 January 1999.

Only Men’s teams participated in both editions of the tournament.

The second Asian Kho Kho Championship was organised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 29 March to 1 April 2000.

Men’s teams from India, Bangladesh, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan participated in the Championship.

The event marked an important expansion of Kho Kho participation beyond the South Asian region.

Kho Kho was included as a competitive sport in the twelfth South Asian Games held at Guwahati, Assam, from 5 to 9 February 2016.

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh participated in the Kho Kho competition.

This inclusion represented a major milestone in the development and recognition of Kho Kho as an international competitive sport.

After a gap of 16 years, the third Asian Kho Kho Championship was organised at Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from 8 to 10 April 2016.

Men’s and Women’s teams from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea participated in the Championship.

The participation of teams from different regions of Asia demonstrated the growing geographical reach of the sport.

The first International Technical Officials’ Clinic and Seminar was organised at Ajmer, Rajasthan, from 30 to 31 August 2019.

The programme was conducted to educate International and National Technical Officials regarding revised Rules, interpretations, officiating procedures and match-management standards.

More than 100 International and National Technical Officials participated in the programme.

In December 2019, the Indian Men’s and Women’s Kho Kho teams participated in the thirteenth South Asian Games held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Both teams won Gold Medals, repeating their success at the twelfth South Asian Games held in Guwahati in 2016.

The first International Kho Kho Coaching Camp was organised in New Delhi from 23 February to 21 March 2020.

A total of 65 Players from 16 countries, including five Players from India, participated in the camp. The programme provided international participants with structured training in the technical skills, tactics, rules, fitness requirements and match procedures of Kho Kho.

Kho Kho has developed from a traditional Indian game into an organised continental sport. It is played extensively across the districts and states of India and has expanded to numerous countries across Asia.

The establishment of national and international governing bodies, standardisation of the Rules, introduction of age-group competitions, development of professional coaching programmes, training of Technical Officials and organisation of continental and international championships have contributed significantly to the sport’s growth.

Kho Kho continues to evolve through improvements in competition formats, playing surfaces, technology, broadcasting, officiating, athlete development and international participation, while preserving its traditional identity as the Game of Chase.