’36th National Games-2022′ is ready! Ahmedabad is also recognized as a World Heritage City
The popular game of kho-kho in India traces its roots back to the story of the Mahabharata—Kho-kho has a special connection with the Chakravyuha devised by the great guru Dronacharya in the Mahabharata war.
According to experts the game of kho-kho originated in Maharashtra – the word ‘kho-kho’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘sue’, meaning ‘to get up and go’ – skills of speed and agility are essential to master the game of kho-kho
While Ahmedabad, the host of the 36th National Games-2022, is gearing up to host the Gujarat Games, all the preparations are being finalized at Sanskardham Sports Complex. A total of three competitions including Kho-Kho are to be held here. If we look at the history of Kho-Kho, a traditional ancient rural Indian game, its roots can be traced back to the story of the Mahabharata.
In the Mahabharata war, Chakravyuha is formed by Guru Dronacharya and the heroic Abhimanyu succeeds in breaking it. Fighting in this maze uses a fighting style similar to the ring play style, which is an important part of defensive tactics in the sport of kho-kho.
Kho-Kho is reputed to be a very popular sport in rural areas of India. According to experts, Kho-Kho game is believed to have originated in Maharashtra. It is believed to have originated in the early 19th (probably from 1914…) century and then the game became famous as a modern game. Kho-Kho is an exciting game as an outdoor game.
All India Kho-Kho Federation was established in India in 1957 to promote the traditional Indian sport of Kho-Kho. Then in the year 1959-60, the first ‘All India Kho-Kho Championship’ for men was organized in Vijayawada, Andhra. A unique enthusiasm was seen among the people during this competition.
In the year 1960-61, the championship was held for the first time for women’s category as well. Kho-Kho was first introduced as an exhibition game at the Asian Games Festival held in New Delhi in 1982. Then Kho-Kho’s fame started to grow. In the year 1996, the Asian Championship was organized for the first time at Kolkata and from 2016, Kho-Kho was included as a ‘medal game’ in the South Asian Championship. Currently Kho-Kho is played in more than 25 countries.
Different states give awards like ‘Eklavya’ and Rani ‘Lakshmibai’ of Jhansi to those who excel at the national level in Kho-Kho. In the year 1970-71, the Junior Men’s Championship was held for the first time at Hyderabad, in which Maharashtra emerged victorious. In the same year, the ‘Veer Abhimanyu’ award was given for outstanding performance in Kho-Kho. In the year 1974-75, a junior championship was also held for women at Indore, MP. From the year 1982, the sport of kho-kho was included as a part of the Indian Olympic Association.
It is a different kind of thrill to watch when kho-kho players are playing on the field and run and dive at speed to catch the player of the rival team. Today kho-kho is played in many states of India including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh including Gujarat. Many youths in Tapi area of Gujarat are masters of this game.
The specialty of this game is that the players who play this game are energetic as well as passionate!The agility and speed is such that, as the audience, we are continuously hooked to watch the entire game. Different fun to enjoy and play Kho-Kho! So are you ready Gujarati??
To enjoy watching the Kho-Kho game! National Games-2022 Kho-Kho Jang is going to be held at Sanskar Dham Sports Complex, Ahmedabad! The competition will be held between men and women teams from September 30 to October 4, 2022. Let’s be ready for celebrating unity through sports!