58th Senior National Kho-Kho Championship Begins in Kazipet
1,400 players from 79 teams compete at Kazipet Stadium
Warangal: The 58th Senior National Kho-Kho Championship for men and women was inaugurated on Sunday at the Kazipet Railway Stadium in Hanamkonda by Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari, in the presence of Kho-Kho Federation of India president Sudhanshu Mittal.
Addressing the gathering, Uttam Kumar Reddy said nearly 1,400 players representing 79 teams from across the country are taking part in the championship. He expressed pride that the historic city of Warangal was hosting such a major national sporting event and assured that all necessary facilities had been provided to the participating athletes.
He noted that traditional Indian sports such as kho-kho and kabaddi play an important role in rural India and deserve greater encouragement. The government, he said, was committed to promoting these games at the national level.
Sports minister Vakiti Srihari said kho-kho was an integral part of India’s cultural heritage and deserved recognition on par with international sports such as football and cricket. He announced a grant of ₹1.5 crore for the development of the indoor stadium at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and for strengthening kho-kho infrastructure. He directed officials to submit proposals so that the funds could be released at the earliest.
Both ministers urged the players to compete with sportsmanship and bring credit to the country through their performances.
State Kho-Kho Association president Janga Raghava Reddy, public representatives and sports officials attended the inauguration.
