KKFI Announces Robust Team India Squad For Kho Kho World Cup 2025 | Other Sports News

The Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) and the International Kho Kho Federation (IKKF) on Thursday, introduced the ultimate TEAM INDIA males’s and girls’s squads for the upcoming Kho Kho World Cup 2025, to be held on the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi from January 13 to 19. The first version of this mega occasion will see participation from 20 males’s groups and 19 girls’s groups, with 23 nations making their method to our lovely nation for the match.

Leading the boys’s staff will likely be Pratik Waikar. The Eklavya Award winner who made his India debut in 2016, began taking part in Kho Kho at age eight, impressed by his neighbour. Despite holding levels in Computer Science and Finance, he pursued Kho Kho professionally, securing a job by means of the sports activities quota. He captained Telugu Yoddhas within the Ultimate Kho Kho League as runners-up and led Maharashtra to gold within the 56th Senior National Championship.

Ashwani Kumar Sharma brings a wealth of expertise to the boys’s staff, having devoted over 5 many years to the game. His spectacular observe report consists of main the boys’s staff to Gold on the 2019 South Asian Games and securing victory with the Odisha Juggernauts in season 1 of UKK. Recognition for his teaching prowess got here earlier when he was named Delhi’s finest coach in 2014. His intensive background and confirmed success make him a useful asset because the staff pursues their championship ambitions.

“It’s a dream come true moment for me. When the officials were making the announcement, I had goosebumps. Having played Kho Kho for a very long time, I was just excited, waiting to hear my name being announced as part of the Indian team. as captain. This is a huge achievement for me because leading our country at the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup on home soil is the biggest achievement of my career,” stated Pratilk after the announcement.

For the ladies’s staff, Priyanka Ingle has been chosen because the captain. She has been a mainstay within the squad, having competed in 23 Nationals over 15 years. Her achievements embody the Ila Award (finest sub-junior participant), Rani Laxmi Bai Award (2022 Senior Nationals), and gold on the 4th Asian Kho Kho Championship 2022-23. An all-rounder with an M. Com diploma, she now works on the Income Tax Department in Mumbai whereas sustaining rigorous coaching routines.

The staff will likely be coached by Sumit Bhatia, who’s an achieved Kho Kho coach, with nationwide achievements together with a number of medals within the Senior National Championships. As Chief Coach of the Women’s Team on the 4th Asian Kho Kho Championship 2023, he has secured worldwide victories together with gold medals on the third Asian Championship and twelfth South Asian Games, whereas additionally serving as an International Referee at world occasions.

“As this is the first World Cup and I have been selected as the captain of the Indian women’s team, I am feeling very good. Everyone has shown such great faith in me by trusting me with this responsibility. I will fulfill their trust to the best of my abilities and bring home the gold medal for India,” stated Priyanka Ingle, the captain of the ladies’s staff.

Speaking on the press convention saying the staff, KKFI President Shri Sudhanshu Mittal stated, “The selection of our national teams marks a historic moment for Kho Kho, as we prepare to host the first-ever World Cup. With 23 countries participating, this tournament Will showcase India’s sporting heritage on the global stage. Both our men’s and women’s teams represent the finest talent from across the nation, selected through a rigorous process. Ingle, along with our experienced coaching staff, we are confident of delivering exceptional performances. This World Cup is not just a testament to Kho Kho’s evolution from a traditional Indian sport to an international competitive event; .”

Shri MS Tyagi, General Secretary of the KKFI, stated. “Our selection process has been meticulous and transparent, ensuring we have the strongest possible teams representing India. The tremendous response from 23 participating nations shows the growing global appeal of Kho Kho. With our world-class facilities at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium and the exceptional talent in both our men’s and women’s teams, we are fully prepared to host a landmark tournament that will set new standards for the sport. This World Cup will not only showcase India’s organizational capabilities but also help establish Kho Kho as a major international sport.”

The Team India squads have been chosen after an intensive coaching camp on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi from December 10, 2024. The KKFI Selection Committee, led by President Shri Sudhanshu Mittal and General Secretary Shri MS Tyagi, have been essential within the collection of the ultimate. 15 for the boys’s and girls’s groups. They have been ably suggested by the teaching employees on the Training Camp, from 60 male and 60 feminine gamers who have been part of the camp.

TEAM INDIA MEN’S SQUAD

Pratik Waikar (Captain), Prabani Sabar, Mehul, Sachin Bhargo, Suyash Gargate, Ramji Kashyap, Siva Pothir Reddy, Aditya Ganpule, Gowtham MK, Nikhil B, Akash Kumar, Subramani V., Suman Barman, Aniket Pote, S. Rokeson Singh

Standby: Akshay Bangare, Rajvardhan Shankar Patil, Vishwanath Janakiram.

TEAM INDIA WOMEN’S SQUAD

Priyanka Ingle (Captain), Ashwini Shinde, Reshma Rathore, Bhilar Devjibhai, Nirmala Bhati, Neeta Devi, Chaithra R., Subhashree Sing, Magai Majhi, Anshu Kumari, Vaishnavi Bajrang, Nasreen Shaikh, Meenu, Monika, Nazia Bibi

Standby: Sampada More, Ritika Siloriya, Priyanka Bhopi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a press launch)