Kho kho

Kho kho is a fun tag game from India.

One team tries to catch the other team. Eight players sit in a line on the field. One player runs to tag the runners. To help a friend, you touch their back. You must shout "kho" to switch roles.

This game is very old. It is played by many people in school. People all over the world play it now. It is a very fast and exciting sport.

Kho kho is a fast tag game from India.

It has been played since ancient times. Some say it is linked to the Mahabharata. In the past, people played a version on chariots. The name comes from the sound "kho." Players make this sound to switch roles.

One team is the chasers. They have nine players. Eight chasers sit in a line. They face different ways. One player is the active chaser. They run to tag the defenders.

When a chaser tags a defender, they earn a point. To switch, the active chaser touches a teammate's back. They must shout "kho" to pass the turn.

Today, many people play this sport. It is popular in schools. It is also a big professional sport. India hosted the first World Cup in 2025. People play it in many lands like England and South Africa. Some even use mats instead of mud to play. This makes the game very fast.

Kho kho is a fast and exciting tag game from India.

It is one of the most popular traditional games in the Indian subcontinent. People love it because it is simple and affordable to play. The name comes from the sound "kho," which players shout during the game. This sound is used to pass the turn to a teammate. Today, it is a professional sport played in many countries. Many people play it in schools to stay active and have fun.

The game happens on a rectangular court with two poles at each end.

One team is the chasers, and they have nine players on the field. Eight of these chasers sit in a line in the center. They all face different directions. The third player is the active chaser who runs to tag the defenders. There are three defenders who try to avoid being touched. When a chaser tags a defender, the team earns one point.

There are special rules for how the chasers move. An active chaser cannot cross the center lane to reach the other side. They also cannot change direction once they start running toward a pole. To get around these rules, the chaser can switch roles with a teammate. They do this by touching the teammate on the back and saying "kho." This allows a new player to become the active chaser. The chaser can also run behind a pole to change direction.

Kho kho has a very long history. It has been played since at least the fourth century BC. Some people believe it is linked to the Indian epic called the Mahabharata. In ancient times, a version called Rathera was played on chariots. The modern rules were set in 1914 by the Deccan Gymkhana club in Pune. A man named Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote the very first rule book. The sport was even shown at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Today, the sport is growing all over the world.

It is played in places like England, South Africa, and Australia. In 2022, a new professional league called Ultimate Kho Kho began in India. India also hosted the first Kho Kho World Cup in 2025. The game has moved from muddy ground to professional mats. This change makes the game very fast for the players. Some leaders even hope to see it in the Olympics one day.

Kho kho is a traditional Indian tag sport with ancient roots. It is one of the most popular traditional games in the Indian subcontinent. The name is an onomatopoeia, which means it mimics the sound made during play. Players shout "kho" to signal a change in roles. This sport is valued for its simplicity and affordability. It is widely played by school children and professional athletes alike. Today, the game has spread globally through the South Asian diaspora to nations like England and South Africa.

The game is played on a rectangular court. Two poles stand at opposite ends of the field. A central lane connects these two poles. Eight members of the chasing team sit in a crouched position within this central lane. These players face opposite directions so that adjacent teammates face different halves of the field. The ninth player is the active chaser. This player runs to tag members of the defending team. There are three runners on the defending team who try to avoid being caught.

Specific rules govern how the active chaser moves. The chaser cannot cross the central lane to reach the other side of the court. They also cannot change direction once they begin running toward a pole. To bypass these limits, a chaser must give a "kho" to a sitting teammate. This involves touching the teammate on the back and shouting the word. The new active chaser must then face the direction the previous player was facing. A chaser can also change direction by running behind one of the poles into a free zone. The free zone is a 1.5-meter area behind each pole where movement is unrestricted.

Scoring occurs when a defender is successfully tagged or dismissed. A defender is out if they are touched, step out of the court, or enter the field late. Each successful tag earns the chasing team one point. The game is organized into turns. Each team gets two turns to defend and two turns to chase. Each turn lasts nine minutes. If the score is tied at the end, a "minimum chase" tiebreaker may occur. In this format, teams get one extra turn to score a single point. The fastest team to score wins the match.

Kho kho has a history spanning over two thousand years. It has been played since at least the fourth century BC. Some gameplay aspects may be linked to the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In ancient times, a version called Rathera was played on chariots. The modern version was standardized in 1914 by the Deccan Gymkhana club in Pune. Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote the first official rule book for the sport. Kho kho was even demonstrated at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Recently, the sport has moved from muddy surfaces to professional matted surfaces. This change requires more energy and has increased the rate of injuries.

The sport is seeing rapid professional growth in the 21st century. In August 2022, the Ultimate Kho Kho franchise league launched in India. This league features six professional teams. The International Kho Kho Federation (IKKF) now manages the sport globally. They oversee different formats, including the standard test format and the seven-a-side fast format. The inaugural World Cup was held in 2025, with India serving as the host and winner. There are even innovative courts, such as one in Australia, that use removable poles to allow other sports to use the field.

Kho kho connects to many different levels of competition and culture. It is a medal sport in the South Asian Games, which began in 2016. It is also included in major Indian events like the National Games and Khelo India. The IKKF aims to expand the sport to over 90 countries. This expansion is a step toward reaching the requirements for the Olympic Games. Indian officials are currently targeting the 2036 Olympics for inclusion. On a cultural level, fans celebrate International Kho Kho Day every year on June 30.