In a high-intense battle, defending champions Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) and Maharashtra won the men’s and women’s titles, respectively, at the 58th Senior National Kho Kho Championship held in Kazipet. The Railways men’s team added their second straight victory, while the Maharashtra women’s team won their fifth consecutive title.
Both the men’s and women’s teams had won the 57th edition of the tournament in Odisha from March 31st to April 4, 2025. Meanwhile, Maharashtra got their second silver win in the men’s category, while Odisha women’s team won their second silver.
In the Women’s finals, Maharashtra defeated Odisha in a hard-fought match by 23-22. Sandhya Survase made a good defence for Maharashtra by staying for around 2:30 minutes, while World Cup captain Priyanka Ingle stood for 2:00 minutes. Ingle also scored 10 points in the attack. Odisha’s Archana Pradhan performed good defense.
On the other hand, the Railways men’s team got a brilliant win over Maharashtra by a score of 26-21 in the finals. Maharashtra’s Pratik Waikar was on the mat for 1.55 seconds and had good defence, while Abhinandan Patil of RSPB was outstanding and brilliant with attack.
The Railways men’s team added their second straight victory, while the Maharashtra women’s team won their fifth consecutive title.
When it came to individual achievements of the Senior National Kho Kho Championship 2026, Maharashtra’s Pratik Waikar and Odisha’s Archana Pradhan bagged the best defender titles in the men’s and women’s category respectively. RSPB Abhinandan and Maharashtra’s Ingle were named the best attackers in the men’s and women’s categories.
Ramji Kashyap of Railways was awarded the Ekalavya Award, while Odisha’s Sandhya Survase won the Rani Laxmi Award. In addition to that, they were also honoured with the Best All-Rounder awards.
The 58th Senior National Kho Kho championship was held from January 11 to 15, featuring kho kho players from across the country. Kolhapur and Airports Authority of India (AAI) finished in third place in the men’s and women’s categories.
Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) President, Sudhanshu Mittal, talking about the success of the event, said, “The 58th Senior National Kho Kho Championship in Telangana sets a new milestone for senior nationals. Right from organisation to participation, every aspect was outstanding. The level of energy and excitement was incredible and Kho Kho as a modern sport offers high-voltage entertainment to the audience.”
Meanwhile, Telangana Kho Kho Association President, Janga Raghava Reddy, said, “It has been an honour to take the mantle of hosting the 58th Senior National Kho Kho Championship. It has been a monumental effort and it is a happy occasion to see the sport thrive in Telangana.”
(Inputs sourced from ANI News)
