Kho-Kho in Kerala

Reviewed profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and FAQs on this page are compiled by hand from federation, government and press reporting, drawing on Kho Kho Federation of India (khokhofederation.in), Wikipedia — Kho kho in India, Ultimate Kho Kho. These are not cited to individual documents: we hold no per-claim source for them, so treat dates, counts and career records here as a summary rather than a reference. Sections we hold nothing for are left empty. Sport pages last reviewed as a set: September 2026.

Overview

Origin: Ancient India
Category: Team
Olympic discipline: No
Paralympic discipline: No
Central pathway: Federation and state pathway
Athlete profiles on SportSupport: 2

Governance and status

Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Indian governing/organising body: KKFI
Ministry recognition: Kho Kho Federation of India — Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — as at 2026Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — List of recognised National Sports Federations
International federation: Not currently verified
Khelo India inclusion: On the official Khelo India Games discipline list as "Kho-Kho"Source: Sports Authority of India / Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — Discipline wise Participation in all editions of Khelo India Games (19th Edition) (2026-08-29)
TOPS eligibility: Not currently verified
Olympic status: Not on the Olympic programme
Paralympic status: Not a Paralympic discipline

Kho-Kho is listed on SportSupport in the team category. Its recorded origin is Ancient India. It is not on the Olympic programme. We list KKFI as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.

Kho-Kho has a federation and state-level pathway in India, and athletes selected through KKFI may be eligible for state sports-quota employment and state cash awards where their state notifies the discipline. TOPS does not apply, as the discipline is outside the Olympic programme. Kho-Kho appears on the official Khelo India Games discipline list as "Kho-Kho", so junior talent identified by the discipline's selectors can be considered under Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID). (Source: Sports Authority of India / Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — Discipline wise Participation in all editions of Khelo India Games (19th Edition).)

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for kho-kho athletes in India.

Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)
Stipend, boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to kho-kho.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria at Asian, Commonwealth or World Championship level — Government of India. Whether a given kho-kho event counts depends on the scheme's notified list.
State sports quota and government employment
Many states reserve government and public-sector posts for national-level medallists. Which kho-kho events and which certifying bodies a state accepts varies by state, so check your state's current notification.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

2 profiles

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

A traditional Indian tag sport between two teams of 12 (9 on field at a time). Chasers sit in a row facing alternate directions and tag runners by hand while pursuing; a chaser can only run forward and must tag another chaser sitting behind to change direction. Runners try to avoid being tagged for their turn's duration; the side with fewer 'outs' or more time survived wins.

Authoritative rulebook: KKFI. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Typical roles across team sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced kho-kho squad list.

Attackers / forwards
Primary scorers who operate closest to the opposition goal or scoring zone.
Midfielders / all-rounders
Link play between defence and attack; usually the highest work-rate positions.
Defenders
Deny the opposition space and possession in the defensive third.
Goalkeeper / last line
Specialist stopper with distinct kit and rules; the final line of defence.
Captain & vice-captain
On-field leadership, decision-making and communication with match officials.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in kho-kho at a federation-recognised event.

No equipment required — played barefoot on a rectangular field with two poles at either end

Governing/organising body

Body listed on SportSupport

Kho Kho Federation of India

Kho Kho Federation of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Kho-Kho. Its recognition status as we hold it: Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (as at 2026). Recognition is granted year by year, so read the federation profile for the source.

Origin: Ancient India
Olympic: No
Paralympic: No
Category: Team

KKFI profile →All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in kho-kho.

National Kho Kho Championship
Organized annually by the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) since 1955 (first All India Championship held in Vijayawada, 1959), contested for men, women and junior categories; the primary national-team selection pathway.
Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK)
A franchise-based professional league launched in 2022 in direct collaboration with KKFI (federation-backed, unlike some other sports' independent leagues), broadcast on Star Sports/Sony Sports with player auctions and performance contracts.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in kho-kho.

Kho Kho World Cup
India hosted and won the inaugural edition in January 2025 at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi (39 teams, 23 nations, over 800 participants).
Asian Kho Kho Championship
Run by the Asian Kho Kho Federation, formed 1987.
South Asian Games
Included since the India-hosted 2016 edition.

Leagues

Franchise and professional leagues catalogued for kho-kho. Full season data, champions and schedule filters are available in the sidebar.

Domestic · Since 2022
Ultimate Kho Kho
World's first franchise league for the indigenous sport of kho kho.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised kho-kho athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for kho-kho maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in kho-kho — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Playing pathway through KKFI's junior-to-senior national championship structure
Ultimate Kho Kho as a genuine federation-backed professional career platform
Coaching and grassroots roles through KKFI, School Games Federation of India and All India University Sports Board programmes
Growing sports science and broadcast/media roles as the sport's commercial profile has expanded rapidly since 2022

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

2 listed

Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, PatialaElite
Patiala, Punjab · Since 1961
Asia's largest sports institute and SAI's flagship coach-education and training campus.
SAI Western Centre, GandhinagarNational
Gandhinagar, Gujarat · Since 1986
Western India's residential SAI centre with full sports-science support; its athletics, powerlifting and swimming programmes here are para disciplines.

All academies →List your academy →

Government Schemes

6 listed

Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for kho-kho athletes and academies.

All government schemes →

FAQs

Common questions about kho-kho in India.

Who governs Kho-Kho in India?▾

We list KKFI as the Indian governing/organising body for Kho-Kho, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.

Is Kho-Kho an Olympic sport?▾

No, Kho-Kho is not on the Olympic programme.

How do I start playing Kho-Kho in India?▾

The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under KKFI. Age-group state championships follow from there.

What government schemes support Kho-Kho athletes?▾

TOPS does not apply, as Kho-Kho is outside the Olympic programme. State-government cash awards or sports-quota employment can apply where a state notifies the discipline, which varies by state. Kho-Kho appears on the official Khelo India Games discipline list as "Kho-Kho", so athletes identified by the discipline's selectors can be considered under Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID). Appearing on the list is not itself a grant of funding.

Kho-Kho in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Kho-Kho in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

Kho-Kho