New Delhi [India], January 14 : Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha expressed happiness at the organisation of the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup in the country and said that as India aims to host the 2036 Olympics, this homegrown sport should be promoted as much as possible.
The first-ever Kho Kho World Cup finally kickstarted in New Delhi on Monday with a grand opening ceremony and will be held till January 19. The first match of the tournament saw India play Nepal in men's action and secure a massive win. The women's action will kickstart on Tuesday with England taking on Australia.
Speaking to the media about the tournament, Usha said, "I am so happy. This is so nicely organised. I played Kho Kho and enjoyed it. When you will start playing it, you would not worry about anything, will go all out and later get pain everywhere. Every part of body is at work. It is in the National Games as well. It should be in the Olympics soon."
"We always want our home grown sports to be a part of big events like Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Olympics etc. Kho Kho has to be promoted. There is still a long way to go (on India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics). This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and we are really serious about it," she added.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Famer and former World Heavyweight Championship-winning wrestler Dalip Singh, also known as 'The Great Khali' was also present to watch the opening ceremony and the match and was happy about the reception sport got from the fans in attendance.
"It feels good. This is our sport which was slowly getting extinct. But I saw immense craze and excitement among people. It was really great. It is nice that Kho Kho has been given such a big platform. This will help misguided youth stay away from all the vices, get jobs and play," he said to the media.
"It will raise the popularity of the sport. Like cricket is watched worldwide, the same will be the case with kho kho in coming years," he added.
India secured a brilliant start to the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, edging past Nepal with a 42-37 victory at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Monday.
Led by captain and team Wazir Pratik Waikar, India's all-round performance rounded off a magnificent day of Kho Kho action, providing the team with the perfect platform to compete for the ultimate trophy.
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