From battling poverty in a small Telangana household to earning a Doctorate in Physical Education, the journey of Kho Kho player V. Naveen Kumar is a remarkable tale of grit, determination, and passion for indigenous sports.
Born to parents who worked as beedi labourers to make ends meet, Kumar’s early life was marked by hardship. Yet, when he discovered Kho Kho in Class 7, it became his path to hope and achievement. Despite facing hunger and financial struggles, he pursued the sport relentlessly.
“It was never easy for me to continue playing Kho Kho. Sometimes, we didn’t have enough to feed our family of five, but I kept playing. Kho Kho has carved my destiny,” Kumar said.
Over the years, Kumar represented Telangana in six Senior National Championships (2012–2017) and played in the All India Men’s Inter University Kho Kho Championship. His crowning sporting moment came as a gold medallist in the India vs England Kho Kho Test Series held in Navi Mumbai in January 2017.
Kumar’s sporting excellence opened doors for him professionally—first as a tradesman in the Indian Army through the sports quota, and later as a government school physical director in Telangana.
Recently, he added another milestone by completing his doctoral research titled “Effect of Interval Training on Physical Fitness and Physiological Variables among Kho Kho Players of Telangana State” at Osmania University, Hyderabad. “Studying indigenous sports like Kho Kho offers new perspectives that can transform sports science and related fields,” he noted.
Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) President Shri Sudhanshu Mittal praised Kumar’s achievement, saying, “Kho Kho players have nerves of steel. It’s inspiring to see the sport being studied at the highest academic level, showing that excellence can be achieved both on the field and in the classroom.”
KKFI Chairman (Organisation & Administration) Shri M.S. Tyagi added, “More such studies will benefit athletes, the sport, and sports science, providing valuable data and insights.”
Today, Kumar continues to train young students, inspiring the next generation to dream big — both as athletes and as scholars.