57th National Men’s and
Women’s Kho-Kho Championship 2024-25
Maharashtra women shine
in national kho-kho championship, Railways triumph in men’s category
Maharashtra bags their
26th title, Railways secure their 12th championship
Maharashtra finishes
runners-up in men’s category, Odisha in women’s
Tanvi Bhosale from
Dharashiv, Maharashtra awarded ‘Rani Laxmibai’ prize; Jagannath Das from
Railways (Odisha) honored with ‘Ekalavya’ award
Puri (Odisha), April 4:
The Maharashtra women’s team showcased a stellar performance to clinch the
title in the 57th National Kho-Kho Championship. In a thrilling final, they
defeated hosts Odisha 25-21. Meanwhile, in the men’s category, the Railways
team outplayed defending champions Maharashtra with a 36-28 victory. This marks
Maharashtra women’s 26th national title and Railways’ 12th in the men’s
division.
Maharashtra women’s
unbeaten run continues
In the final held at
the District Sports Complex in Puri, Maharashtra's women played with resilience
till the very end, overcoming stiff resistance from the host team Odisha. At
halftime, the scores were level at 10-10. However, Maharashtra displayed superior
strategy and robust defence in the second half to secure a well-deserved
victory.
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Key contributors in defence
included Priyanka Ingle (1.30 mins), Reshma Rathod (1.40 mins), and Ashwini
Shinde (1.40 mins) in the first innings, while Tanvi Bhosale (3.00 mins),
Sampada More (1.30 mins), and Sanika Chafe (1.20 mins) stood strong in the
second. In attack, Reshma claimed 6 dismissals and Priyanka added 4, playing
vital roles in the win.
From Odisha,
Shubhashree Singh (1.20 mins defence and 6 points) and Smaranika Sahu (1.30
mins unbeaten defence and 4 points) gave a commendable all-round performance
but fell short in the end.
Railways dominate in
men’s final
In the men’s final,
Railways registered a decisive 36-28 win over Maharashtra. By halftime,
Railways had built a crucial 21-12 lead. Though Maharashtra fought back to
level the second half 15-15, the first-half advantage ensured Railways’ title
win.
Notable contributors
for Railways included Arun Gunkhi (1.20 mins defense and 6 points), Rahul
Mandal (1.40 mins defense and 4 points), Dilip Khandvi (6 points), Jagannath
Das (1.40 mins defense and 4 points), and Mahesh Shinde (1.40 mins and 1.20
mins defense).
For Maharashtra, Laxman
Gavas and Milind Chawarekar tried to anchor the team with 1.40 mins of defense
each in the second half. Piyush Gholam scored 6 points, while Nihar Dubale,
Rudra Thopte, and Suyash Gargate contributed 4 points each. However, their efforts
were not enough, and Maharashtra had to settle for the runner-up position.
Women’s Semifinals:
Maharashtra and Odisha advance with dominance
In the women’s
semifinals, Maharashtra defeated Delhi 26-16. Odisha outclassed the Airport
Authority with a one-inning win and a 25-16 scoreline.
Men’s Semifinals: A
clash of titans
In the men's division,
Maharashtra edged past hosts Odisha 27-25 in a close encounter. In the other
semifinal, Railways beat Kolhapur 36-32 with a one-inning lead and a 6-point
margin.
Maharashtra women’s
dominance shines through; Railways take over men’s title
While the Maharashtra
women's team played with determination throughout the tournament and claimed
the title, the Railways men’s team asserted their dominance in the final. The
tournament clearly highlighted the supremacy of teams like Maharashtra, Railways,
and Odisha.
Defending champions
Maharashtra face hurdles in men’s final
In the men's semifinal
between Maharashtra and Odisha held the previous evening, heavy slipperiness on
the field due to poor conditions led to exhaustion among players. The match had
to be halted and was rescheduled to the next morning due to worsening ground
conditions. Immediately afterward, the final match was played — which is not
ideal for a national-level event. Additionally, Pratik Waikar, captain of
India’s World Cup team, was suffering from fever since the previous evening,
which also seemed to have impacted team morale and performance. These factors
contributed to Maharashtra’s defeat. – Prof. Dr. Chandrajit Jadhav (Joint
Secretary, Kho-Kho Federation of India)
Coach Narendra Mengal
praises teamwork and management
Coach Narendra Mengal
(Thane) credited the Maharashtra women’s team's victory to the collective
efforts of the players and the management. He appreciated the team's excellent
performance and mentioned that the girls raised the state flag high on the auspicious
occasion of Gudi Padwa.
Champion Maharashtra
Women’s Team Roster:
Players: Ashwini Shinde
(Captain), Sampada More, Preeti Kale, Sandhya Suravase, Suhani Dhotre, Tanvi
Bhosale (Dharashiv), Sanika Chafe, Ritika Magdum, Pragati Karnale (Sangli),
Priyanka Ingle, Deepali Rathod, Ritika Rathod (Pune), Payal Pawar (Ratnagiri),
Manisha Patel (Nashik), Reshma Rathod (Thane) Coach: Narendra Mengal (Thane), Assistant
Coach: Anil Raundal (Nandurbar), Manager: Sandhya Lavat (Ahilyanagar)
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