Kho Kho World Cup
| Most recent season or competition: 2025 Kho Kho World Cup | |
 | |
| Sport | Kho kho |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025 |
| Motto | The World Goes Kho |
| No. of teams | M: 20 W: 19 |
| Region | International |
| Venue(s) | Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India |
| Most recent champion(s) | M:  India (1st title) W: India (1st title) |
| Most titles | M: India (1 title) W: India (1 title) |
| Official website | Website |
| Editions |
|---|
The Kho Kho World Cup is an international kho kho tournament.[1] It is sanctioned by the International Kho Kho Federation.[2]
The first Kho Kho World Cup took place in New Delhi, India from 13 to 19 January 2025.[3] It witnessed the participation of 23 countries from six continents, featuring 20 men’s and 19 women’s teams.[4] It was played under the seven-a-side fast format, which is used for Ultimate Kho Kho.[5] India won both the Men's and Women's titles in the inaugural edition, while staying unbeaten throughout the tournament.
History
[edit]The Kho Kho World Cup is the pinnacle of international competition for the sport of kho kho, governed by the International Kho Kho Federation to promote and globalize it.
The 2025 Kho Kho World Cup was hosted by India, the birthplace of kho kho. The event took place in 2025, from January 13 to 19, at the Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi. A total of 23 nations from six continents participated, featuring 20 men’s teams and 19 women’s teams. The Kho Kho Federation of India and the International Kho Kho Federation organized the event. The next World Cup will be in 2026-27 in Birmingham, England.[6]
Format
[edit]The matches adopt a fast-paced seven-a-side format, similar to the one used in Ultimate Kho Kho. There are two stages: the group stage, followed by the knockout stage.
Group Stage
[edit]In the group stage, teams are divided into four groups for the initial round-robin phase, each team competes against others in their group to determine standings.
Knockout Stage
[edit]In the knockout stage, the top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, including quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final match.
Results
[edit]Men
[edit]| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Delhi
|
India
|
54–36 Result |
 Nepal
|
20 |
Women
[edit]| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Delhi
|
India
|
78–40 Result |
Nepal
|
19 |
Performance record
[edit]- Legend
|
|
Men's
[edit]| Team | 2025
|
2026 | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina
|
GS | 1 | |
 Australia
|
GS | 1 | |
 Bangladesh
|
QF | 1 | |
 Bhutan
|
GS | 1 | |
 Brazil
|
GS | 1 | |
 England
|
QF | 1 | |
 Germany
|
GS | 1 | |
 Ghana
|
GS | 1 | |
| India
|
C | 1 | |
 Iran
|
SF | 1 | |
 Kenya
|
QF | 1 | |
 Malaysia
|
GS | 1 | |
| Nepal
|
RU | 1 | |
 Netherlands
|
GS | 1 | |
 Peru
|
GS | 1 | |
 Poland
|
GS | 1 | |
 South Africa
|
SF | 1 | |
 South Korea
|
GS | 1 | |
 Sri Lanka
|
QF | 1 | |
 United States
|
GS | 1 |
Women's
[edit]| Team | 2025
|
2026 | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia
|
GS | 1 | |
| Bangladesh
|
QF | 1 | |
| Bhutan
|
GS | 1 | |
| England
|
GS | 1 | |
| Germany
|
GS | 1 | |
| India
|
C | 1 | |
 Indonesia
|
GS | 1 | |
| Iran
|
QF | 1 | |
| Kenya
|
QF | 1 | |
| Malaysia
|
GS | 1 | |
| Nepal
|
RU | 1 | |
| Netherlands
|
GS | 1 | |
 New Zealand
|
QF | 1 | |
| Peru
|
GS | 1 | |
| Poland
|
GS | 1 | |
| South Africa
|
SF | 1 | |
| South Korea
|
GS | 1 | |
| Sri Lanka
|
GS | 1 | |
 Uganda
|
SF | 1 |
Statistics
[edit]Men's
[edit]| Team | Appearances | Statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | First | Latest | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | NR | Win% | |
| India
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 % |
| Nepal
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 71.42 % |
| Iran
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 % |
| South Africa
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 % |
| Bangladesh
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 80 % |
| England
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 80 % |
| Sri Lanka
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 60 % |
| Kenya
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 60 % |
| Australia
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 % |
| Bhutan
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 % |
| Ghana
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 % |
| South Korea
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 % |
| United States
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 % |
| Argentina
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 % |
| Malaysia
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 % |
| Peru
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 % |
| Brazil
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
| Germany
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
| Netherlands
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
| Poland
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
Women's
[edit]| Team | Appearances | Statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | First | Latest | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | NR | Win% | |
| India
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 % |
| Nepal
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 85.71 % |
| South Africa
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 % |
| Uganda
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 % |
| Bangladesh
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 60 % |
| Kenya
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 60 % |
| New Zealand
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 60 % |
| Iran
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 % |
| England
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 75 % |
| Peru
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 % |
| Sri Lanka
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 % |
| South Korea
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 % |
| Australia
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 % |
| Bhutan
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 % |
| Poland
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 % |
| Malaysia
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
| Germany
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
| Indonesia
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
| Netherlands
|
1 | 2025 | 2025 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 % |
Team debuts
[edit]Men's
[edit]| Year | Teams | Number | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | 20 |
Women's
[edit]| Year | Teams | Number | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | 19 |
References
[edit]- ^ "First-ever Kho Kho World Cup to Take Place in India Next Year". News18. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "India to host first-ever Kho Kho World Cup in 2025 - The Economic Times". m.economictimes.com. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "'Come 2032, Kho Kho Shall Be in the Olympics': KKFI President Sudhanshu Mittal Eyes International Recognition For Sport". News18. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ Kho Kho World Cup 2025: India to host historic first edition in New Delhi - full schedule olympics.com
- ^ "General 4". International Kho Kho Federation. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ India, The Hans (20 January 2025). "Kho Kho has now caught momentum at full speed and it will not stop: KKFI president". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 20 January 2025.