Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

Indian Game-Kho Kho

1. Introduction:

Kho-Kho ranks as one of the most popular traditional sports in India. The origin
of Kho-Kho is difficult to trace, but many historians believe, that it is a
modified form of 'Run Chase', which in its simplest form involves chasing and
touching a person. With its origins in Maharashtra, Kho-Kho in ancient times,
was played on 'raths' or chariots, and was known as Rathera.

Like all Indian games, it is simple, inexpensive and enjoyable. It does, however,
demand physical fitness, strength, speed and stamina, and a certain amount of
ability. Dodging, feinting and bursts of controlled speed make this game quite
thrilling. To catch by pursuit - to chase, rather than just run - is the capstone of
Kho-Kho. The game develops qualities such as obedience, discipline,
sportsmanship, and loyalty between team members.

The rules of the game were framed in the beginning of the 20th century. At
Gymkhana Poona, a Committee was formed in 1914, to frame its rules. The
first ever rules on Kho-Kho were published from Gymkhana Baroda, in 1924. In
1959-60, the first national Kho-Kho championship was organised in Vijayawada
(Andhra Pradesh). The Government has initiated the following awards for the
game: Arjuna Award, Eklavya Award for men, Rani Laxmi Bai award for

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi
Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

women, Veer Abhimanyu award for boys under 18, and Janaki award for girls
under 16.

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi
Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

2. Kho Kho Game Rules:

The rules of the game were framed in the beginning of the 20th century. At
Gymkhana Poona, a Committee was formed in 1914, to frame its rules. The
first ever rules on Kho-Kho were published from Gymkhana Baroda, in
1924.

Each team consists of twelve players, but only nine players take the field
for a contest.
A match consists of two innings. An innings consists of chasing and
running turns of 7 minutes each.
Eight members of the chasing team sit in their eight squares on the
central lane, alternately facing the opposite direction, while the ninth
member is an active chaser, and stands at either of the posts, ready to
begin the pursuit.
Members of the chasing team have to put their opponent out, touching
them with their palms, but without committing a foul.
All the action in Kho-Kho is provided by the defenders, who try to play
out the 7 minutes time, and the chasers who try to dismiss them.
A defender can be dismissed in three ways:
 If he is touched by an active chaser with his palm without committing
a foul
 If he goes out of the limits on his own
 If he enters the limit late
Defenders enter the limit, in batches of three.

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi
Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

After the third and last defender of batch is out, the next batch must
enter the limits, before a 'kho' is given by the successful active chaser.
Defenders have full freedom of movement on both sides of the central
lane, but the active chaser cannot change the direction to which he is
committed. He cannot cross the central lane. An active chaser can
change position with a seated chaser, by touching him from behind 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.
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 defense.
Kho-Kho can be played by men, women, and children of all ages.

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi
Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

3. Kho Kho Skills:

Basic Skills required is running and chasing. Some of the basic kho kho
skills are:

 The judgment of direction: How fast and attentive you are to know
which direction you have to run.
 Getting up from Square: Should be very responsive to your teammates.
 Running Skills: You should be fast ring play, a single chain running, zig-
zag running, and straight running.
 Team coordination: very fast grasper of Kho given by team members
and realizing if the signal was early Kho, late Kho, fake Kho, hurry Kho or
it’s a simple Kho.

4. Playground Dimensions & Equipments:

The required equipments in kho kho game is two watches, whistle (every time
a team scores), measuring tape, lime powder and stationary to write results.

Kho Kho playground is 29 meters long and 16 meters wide in dimension. At

each end of the longer side of the rectangle is two rectangles measuring 16
meters in length and 2.75 meters wide. Wooden pillar of 120 cm high at the
inner center of the line of this rectangle as shown in the figure below. The
circumference of the wooden pillar is between 30 to 40 cm. There is one
straight line on either side of the pillar. There are 8 pairs of parallel lines

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi
Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

between these two wooden pillar posts. Each pair of the line is 30 cm away
from each other and 2.30 meters away from next pair of line. This creates 8
boxes of 30 cm in length and 30 cm width.

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi
 Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

5. Domestic Seasons & Tournaments of Kho Kho:

The primary sports body for this game is called the Kho-Kho Federation of
India (K.K.F.I.). It has its branches in all the states and it has been conducting:

1. National Championships
2. Junior National Championship
3. Sub Junior National Championship
4. School Championship
5. Mini School Championship
6. Primary Mini School Championship
7. National Women Championship
8. All India Inter University Championship and Federation Cup

6. Awards for Kho Kho:

The Government has initiated the following awards for this
game:
 Arjuna Award
 Eklavya Award for men
 Rani Laxmi Bai award for women,
 Veer Abhimanyu award for boys under 18, and
 Janaki award for girls under 16

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi
Indian Game – Kho Kho Escorts World School, Kanpur

7. Kho Kho players who won the Arjuna

Awards:
A number of players have bagged the Arjuna Award. Some of these
players are:

1. Shri Shekhar Dharwadkar

2. Shri Shrirang Inamdar
3. Usha Nagarkar
4. Nilima Sarolkar
5. Achala Devare

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Submitted by:
Juhi Dwivedi