Kho Kho Game (கோ கோ) – One of the oldest games played in India is Kho Kho, whose origins can be traced back to the Mahabharata. A game of Kho Kho resembles the well-known tale of Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu fighting in the “Chakravyuh.” Rathera was the name of the ancient game that involved “raths” and chariots. Nowadays, the game is more simplified, with people competing without weapons.
Kho Kho Game
Contents
The playground game known as kho kho is thought to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. The game involves two or more players rushing and chasing one another to touch or tag one another, typically with their hands. In terms of popularity, the sport is played not only in the UK and South Africa but also in South Asia.
India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, and the Maldives became members of the Asian Kho Kho Federation in 1987 during the 3rd SAF Games in Kolkata. The first Asian Championship was held in India in 1996 in Kolkata, while the second championship was held in Bangladesh in Dhaka. India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Japan, Thailand, and Bangladesh all took part in the championship.
Kho Kho (கோ கோ) Game Overview
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History of Kho-Kho
Although the beginning of Kho-Kho is difficult to follow, many history students believe that it is a modified version of “Run Chase,” which in its simplest form entails following and tagging a person. The ancient Maharashtrian game of Kho-Kho, also known as Rathera, was played on “raths,” or chariots. The first kho-kho competitions took place in 1914, and the main national title was won in 1959 at Vijayawada with the assistance of the Kho-kho Federation of India (KKFI), which was established in 1955. The first Women’s Championship was held in Kohlapur, Maharashtra, between the years 1960 and 1961.
Since then, the KKFI has made significant efforts to promote the game, which is currently played across India at a variety of scales and levels, from schools to the national team. At the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 and the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1987, kho-kho was included as an exhibition sport. The Asian Kho-kho Federation was established during the SAF Games, advancing kho-kho in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Events
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Men’s Event
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Women’s Event
Participants
There are two innings of nine minutes each in kho kho, which is played by two teams of twelve players each. Nine players enter the field and avoid being touched by players on the opposing team. The sport can be played between two male teams or two female teams.
Playing Area
The kho kho playground is 30 meters long and 19 meters wide, and it has two rectangles at the ends.
The rectangle has a width of 2.75 meters and a length of 16 meters. In the middle of these two rectangles are two upright wooden poles. There are eight cross lanes that cross the central lane, which is 23.50 meters long and 30 centimeters wide. The cross lane has dimensions of 16 meters by 30 centimeters.
Officials
Referee
The match is officiated by one referee, who oversees and assists the umpires, observes runners as they enter the free zone, penalizes players for misconduct, and announces the scores. In addition, the referee checks that the playing field is in compliance with the game’s rules.
Umpire
There are two umpires who are responsible for controlling the game, determining whether a team has committed a foul or not, and enforcing the game’s rules.
Timekeeper
In the event of a tie, the timekeeper is responsible for determining the length of each quarter’s play, announcing the quarter’s end, determining the length of the break, and recording the time it takes for either team to touch out a runner.
Scorer
The scorer as its title says, records the score of teams, checks the order of the running team, sends next group in the entry zone area.
How to Play Kho Kho Game?
Kho Kho is played in 2 teams of 12, in a field that measures 27 m by 15 m, but only nine players take the field for a game or contest.
- A match consists of two innings. An innings consists of chasing and running turns of 7 minutes each.
- Start with 8 members of the “chasing” team sitting or kneeling in a row in the middle of the court in their eight squares on the central line, alternately facing the opposite directions. Two wooden poles stand at either end of this central line. The ninth player is the “chaser,” and he takes his position next to one of the two poles, ready to begin the pursuit.
- The opponent team enter the field, in batches of three are called defenders. These defenders, or dodgers, try to play out the 7 minutes time, and the chasers who try to dismiss them within that time. A defender can be dismissed in three ways: 1) if he is touched by an active chaser with his palm without committing a foul, 2) if he goes out of the limits on his own, 3) if he enters the limit late.
- Chasers run in one direction around the centre line where 8 members are sitting and cannot run in reverse course, and also cannot cut across the central line of sitters, even though the dodgers may run wherever they like. Chasers have to run around the entire line (row).
- An active chaser can change position with a seated chaser, by touching him from behind (whose back must be facing you) by palm, and uttering the word ‘kho‘ loudly, and simultaneously, chase or attack is build up through a series of ‘khos’ as the chase continues with a relay of chasers.
- After the first set of 3 defenders is caught, the next batch of 3 is sent onto the field.
- At the end of the innings there is an interval of 5 minutes and an interval of 2 minutes, in between the turns. Each side alternates between chasing and defence.
- Kho-Kho can be played by men, women and children of all ages. The game requires a very small piece of evenly surfaced ground, rectangular in shape, and 27m by 15m. The only equipment required are the two poles. The game lasts not more than 37 minutes.
- A match consists of 2 innings. An inning consists of chasing and running turns of 9 minutes each. Each side alternates between chasing and defense.
- The objective is to tag all the opponents in the shortest time possible; the quickest team wins.
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