India just won the Kho Kho World Cup: What's this sport all about?

Every child growing up in South Asia has fond memories of playing Kho Kho with siblings, cousins, and friends. It’s a game as iconic as the board game of ludo, carom or barf pani (a variation of tag).

But for the first time, this beloved childhood pastime is stepping onto a global stage, bringing with it a sense of nostalgia and pride for millions who grew up chasing and dodging on dusty playgrounds.

The ancient sport of Kho Kho is experiencing a vibrant resurgence in India, as organisers of its first international tournament aim to propel it toward a coveted spot in the Olympics.

Historical roots

It is believed that Kho Kho, a catch-me-if-you-can tag sport, has been played for more than 2,000 years across southern Asia but only saw its rules formalised in the early 20th century.

Roots of this tag-based sport can be traced back centuries to ancient India.

While no one knows exactly how Kho Kho came around, some historical accounts claim that certain aspects of the game were mentioned in the ancient Indian epic of Mahabharata, in the iconic Chakravyuha (a Sanskrit word meaning strategic labyrinth) incident to be precise.

The Mahabharata which chronicles the conflict between royal cousins – the Pandavas and the Kauravas, revolves around an 18-day long war.

On the 13th day of the war, Guru Dronacharya, who was the combat teacher to both the Pandavas and Kauravas but was fighting the war for the latter, devised the Chakravyuha, a deadly almost impenetrable war formation, which unless broken would result in the Pandavas losing.

The style of fighting adopted to breach the Chakravyuha is said to have closely resembled the concept of ring play, which is a defensive tactic applied in the game of Kho Kho. The Dronacharya Award, India’s highest award for sports coaches, incidentally, is named after the same Guru Dronacharya.

Experts claim that Kho Kho is similar to the ancient game of “Rathera”, popular in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, which was played on chariots.

Today’s version of the game, which is played on foot, came to be in 1914 during the first World War. For many years, the game was played in an informal ways.

In order to make the game popular, the Deccan Gymkhana Club of Poona tried to formalise the game. The rules of the game were framed in the beginning of the 20th century.

At the Gymkhana, a committee was formed in 1914, to frame its rules. The first edition of the rules, of Aryapatya Kho Kho and Hu-Tu-Tu was published in 1935, by the newly founded Akhil Maharastra Shareerik Shikshan Mondal.

It was played as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, along with Kabaddi and Mallakhamb, but did not gather enough support to be included in the Summer Games.

The first-ever All India Kho Kho Championship took place in 1959-60, while the national championship for women was played in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, in 1960-61.

Kho Kho was also demonstrated during the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and the first-ever Asian Championship was held in Kolkata, the capital city of eastern Indian state of West Bengal, in 1996.

It was also a medal sport at the South Asian Games 2016 in Guwahati. Currently, almost 25 countries have their national Kho Kho teams.

How to play

Kho Kho is played between two teams of 12 players each, with 9 players actively participating at a time. The game takes place on a rectangular field with players alternating between chasing and defending.

The match starts with a coin toss. The winning captain puts his or her hands up and points their index finger towards either the central line, signalling a chase, or the side lines, signalling a defence.

When the chasing team takes the field for the chase, the players sit in a straight line, facing alternate directions.

Only one chaser can actively tag the runners at a time. The runners aim to avoid being tagged for a set duration while navigating within the marked boundaries. The match starts with the active chaser trying to tag (or touch) one of the three runners.

The chasers can tag one of their fellow inactive chasers while shouting the word ‘Kho’ to hand over the chase to them.

The instant a ‘Kho’ is made, the tagged chaser becomes the active chaser and the one who gives the ‘Kho’ becomes inactive and has to sit down in the now active chaser’s position.

The team that captures all the opposing runners the fastest wins.

Similar games Kho Kho shares similarities with other global games such as Kabaddi, another Indian-origin sport that combines tagging with wrestling. Unlike Kho Kho, Kabaddi involves physical contact and is played on a smaller field.

There is also Tag Rugby, while both involve chasing, Tag Rugby includes ball-handling skills, making it a hybrid between rugby and traditional tag. Then the classic game of Tag, Kho Kho’s structured team play and strategic relay system distinguish it from simpler versions of tag played worldwide.

Going Global with Olympic Dreams

The transformation of Kho Kho from a regional pastime to an international sport is a testament to India’s growing sports ecosystem. The establishment of the Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK) in 2022 marked a significant milestone.

Global participation in Kho Kho tournaments has also risen, with teams from countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh actively competing.

Recent championships have drawn attention to the sport’s fast-paced, tactical nature, appealing to audiences beyond South Asia.

Over the weekend, the Indian men’s and women’s teams created history in New Delhi by beating Nepal in their respective finals and winning the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 titles.

This was the inaugural edition of the Kho Kho World Cup, which is supported by the Indian Olympic Association.

Nearly a century after its solo debut at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 as a demonstration sport, enthusiasts sought to elevate Kho Kho with this landmark event, featuring teams from 23 nations competing in India’s capital, New Delhi.

The organisers hope the growing popularity of Kho Kho will pave the way for its inclusion in future Olympic Games.

Efforts are being made to modernise Kho Kho include professional leagues, digital broadcasts, and collaborations with international sports bodies. However, challenges like, limited infrastructure, funding and global awareness, remain.