From border villages and desert hamlets to coastal towns and crowded cities, the 44th Junior National Kho Kho Championship in Gunjur, Bengaluru, is not just a sporting event—it is a powerful story of grit, sacrifice, and dreams born in hardship.
Fourteen-year-old Navya has travelled over 2,700 km from Jammu & Kashmir to compete in the championship. Hailing from Haripur village in the R.S. Pura area near the international border, Navya dreams of representing India on the global stage. Her mother, Bharati Devi, works as a housemaid earning ₹5,000 per month, while her father, Subash Chandra, suffers from mental health issues and is unable to contribute financially.
“My mother works as a cook in houses and earns ₹5,000 per month. There are also expenses on my father’s medicines. She always tells me never to give up Kho Kho and to continue my studies. I want to be like Nazia Bibi,” Navya said. Nazia Bibi, from Nagrota in Jammu & Kashmir, became the first athlete from the region to represent India at the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup in January 2025.
In the boys’ team from Jammu & Kashmir is Kamal (15), a native of Tali Morh, Jammu, making his national debut. Kamal lost his father to illness three years ago, leaving his mother, Praveen Kumari, a coffee shop worker, as the sole breadwinner.
“I want to secure a government job through the sports quota to support my mother. One of my sisters is married, and the other studies in Class 9. I also want to stay away from drug abuse,” Kamal said.
Over 800 km away, in Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’, Rachna Singh (12) is competing in the Junior Nationals for the first time. Her mother is a homemaker, while her father, Ranveer Singh, works at a bus operator’s office counter.
“Our income is not steady—sometimes we have money, sometimes we don’t. I have been playing Kho Kho for four years and want to represent India at the next World Cup,” Rachna said with confidence.
Her Rajasthan teammate, Dev Raj Mali (18), hails from a village in Kekri district and is the son of a marginal farmer. His father, **Amba in Kekri district and is the son of a marginal farmer. His father, Amba Lal Mali, struggles to send ₹1,500 every month for Dev Raj’s room rent in Ajmer, where he trains at the DAV College ground.
“I want to play in the senior nationals and end my family’s hardships. When we need money, we don’t have it,” Dev Raj said.
From the coastal region of Puducherry, more than 2,100 km away, M. Stephen (16) is playing his third Junior National Championship. His father passed away over a decade ago, and his mother, a daily-wage labourer earning about ₹6,000 per month, supports the family.
“I am in Class 11, and my brother is in college. My mother works very hard for us. I want to represent India internationally,” Stephen said.
Puducherry’s women’s team also features V. Mangaiyarkarasi (16), whose father works as a labourer in paddy fields while her mother is a homemaker. A Class 12 student, she balances academics with intense training and dreams of international success.
Kho Kho has increasingly emerged as a viable career pathway for athletes from humble backgrounds. More than 3,500 players across India have benefitted from employment opportunities under sports quota schemes in organisations such as the Railways, Income Tax Department, Banks, Postal Services, paramilitary forces, and various state governments.
“Kabaddi and Kho Kho are no longer just traditional games. Kho Kho is now a modern sport offering opportunities and recognition. Youth are inclined towards making a career in it. Their dreams are our dreams, and it is our obligation to ensure that every athlete receives the best training, support, and handholding to realise their potential,” said Sudhanshu Mittal, President of the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI).
The 44th Junior National Kho Kho Championship, featuring teams from states and Union Territories across India, began on December 31 and will conclude on January 4 in Bengaluru. Upcoming major events include the 58th Senior National Kho Kho Championship (Men & Women) 2025–26, scheduled from January 11–15 in Kazipet, Telangana, and the 35th Sub-Junior National Kho Kho Championship (Boys & Girls) 2025–26, to be held from January 31 to February 4 in Kurukshetra, Haryana.