58TH SENIOR NATIONAL KHO KHO CHAMPIONSHIP (Men & Women) for the 2025–26 season has begun at the Railway Stadium, bringing together more than 1,400 athletes from across India.
The tournament features teams from 26 states, six Union Territories, four institutional units and three Associate Member Associations, underlining the sport’s growing reach and competitive depth nationwide. The championship is being played in a league-cum-knockout format, with the pre-quarter-finals and quarter-finals scheduled for 14 January, followed by the semi-finals and finals on 15 January.
The opening ceremony was attended by Telangana’s Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Minister for Sports and Youth Services Vakiti Srihari. The inauguration included a parade of teams, an NCC march-past and a range of cultural performances.
Also present were several senior officials from the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI), including president Sudhanshu Mittal, general secretary Upkar Singh Virk, treasurer Govind Sharma and chairman for administration and organisation Dr M. S. Tyagi. They were joined by Janga Raghava Reddy, president of the Telangana Kho Kho Association, N. Krishnamurthy, secretary of the Telangana association, and other officials and public representatives.
Mittal said, “I am really heartened to see such a grand Senior Nationals with such a huge participation. Athletes from every part of India have come. Every Kho Kho player has a dream in his eyes to see their sport reach great heights. We have to be in the 2030 Commonwealth Games and we will realise this dream.”
Srihari added, “Seeing such a grand event I feel like I am sitting in Delhi and not in Kazipet. Teams from all across India including North, South, East and West have come. I thank Shri Sudhanshu Mittal and Shri Upkar Singh from KKFI and Shri Janga Raghava Reddy, President of Telangana Kho Kho Association for making it possible.”
