Kho Kho: A traditional tag game of India

In our nation, sports have always had a genuine significance. No matter who you are or what you do, playing together in sports or activities unites people. The Indian population has a long history of being devoted to sports, and there are numerous traditional games that are being widely practiced today. Kho Kho, known as the traditional tag game of India is one such game with a very unique history.

Kho Kho; Image source: beyondpinkworld

Kho Kho is the traditional tag game of the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the oldest sports dating back to ancient India. The significance of Kho Kho is very prominent, as it is more than just a sport, it’s a challenge. It requires cooperation, teamwork, speed, and quick thinking.

Kho-kho, often known as the modified version of "Run and Pursue," is a relatively straightforward game. In every region of India, this game is played at all levels, from the school to the national.

Played on a rectangular court along with a central line drawn between two poles on both ends of the court. Kho-Kho is played between two teams – Team A and Team B. Each team has 12 players out of which 9 players will start the game and the remaining 3 are kept as substitutes.

One match is separated into two innings and each inning has two turns which will last for nine minutes, in which the teams will alternate between chasing and defending. Eight out of nine players of the chasing team would sit on their knees on the court and three players from the defending team would run around them and attempt to avoid being touched by them. Any one player from the chasing team (active chaser) would run to tag the members of the defending team. Each team has two turns to score and two turns to defend. The team which scored more points would win.

While the true origins of Kho Kho are a little difficult to tell, it is believed that this game has some of its roots from the ancient epic Mahabharata. Some Tactics and Strategies of this game are said to be taken from a tragic incident that happened on the 13th day of the 18-day Kurukshetra Battle.

On the 13th day of the war, Guru Dronacharya, who was the chief of the Kaurava army, planned a brilliant strategy and formed a chakravyuh (circular formation), which is a defensive strategy, and it was broken by Abhimanyu (son of Arjuna and Subhadra), but unfortunately, he didn’t make it and died because he was against 7 warriors all by himself, but he gave all of us the concept ‘Ring Play’ which is a defensive strategy used in Kho Kho.

This game has been played since ancient times, back then, it was called ‘Rathera’ as it included ‘Raths’ or ‘Chariots’.

That was the ancient game of Kho Kho, but the modern game of Kho Kho is said to have originated in the state of Maharashtra. The official rules and regulations of the modern version of Kho Kho are said to have been formalised for the first time in Deccan Gymkhana in Pune, which gave this sport an appropriate structure. Bal Gangadhar (Lokmanya) Tilak is considered to be the founder of the modern game of Kho Kho.

Soon, the popularity of this sport increased, and a lot of people started taking interest in it, which led to the formation of Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) in 1955. Because of this, the first ever All India Kho Kho Championship was held at Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh in 1959-60, and for women, a National Championship was organised in Kolhapur in 1960-1961. Thus, Kho Kho made its own identity.

From playing in school during lunch break and games period to playing it on a national level, this sport has always bounded us together.