Bengaluru: The 44th Junior Boys and Girls National Kho-Kho Championship 2025–26 concluded with high drama and electrifying performances at the Gunjur ground in Bengaluru. Organised under the aegis of the Kho-Kho Federation of India (KKFI) and hosted by the Karnataka Kho-Kho Association, the championship witnessed exceptional speed, agility, tactics, and fighting spirit. Maharashtra girls once again stamped their authority by defeating Odisha to clinch the gold medal, while host Karnataka outplayed Maharashtra in the boys’ final to secure the top honour. The thrilling encounters reaffirmed the dominance of these states in Indian kho-kho.
Maharashtra’s Golden Legacy Continues
Maharashtra had secured ten consecutive double championships till last year. While the boys’ team, which had earlier won nineteen consecutive and a total of thirty-five national titles, saw their winning streak end this season, the girls proudly carried forward the legacy. With this triumph, the Maharashtra girls clinched their eleventh consecutive and overall twenty-seventh national title. Solapur’s Sneha Lamkane, from a farmer’s family, was honoured with the prestigious ‘Janaki Award’, while Karnataka’s B. Vijay received the ‘Veer Abhimanyu Award’ for his outstanding performance.
Girls’ Final: Maharashtra Raise the Victory Flag
The girls’ final between Maharashtra and Odisha turned into a nail-biting contest. Maharashtra led narrowly by 14–11 at halftime, while the scores remained locked at 25–25 at the end of regulation time. In the extra innings, Maharashtra displayed remarkable composure and aggression to register a commanding 44–33 victory by eleven points. Maharashtra’s key contributors included Sneha Lamkane (3, 2.40 min defence, 4 points), Maithili Pawar (1.30, 1.30 min defence, 6 points), Sanika Chafe (2.20, 1.40 min defence, 2 points), Diksha Katekar (1.20 min defence, 10 points), Shravani Tamkhade (2, 1.40, 1.10 min defence), Shruti Chormare (12 points), and Shweta Navle (unbeaten 2 min defence, 4 points). Odisha fought bravely through Archana Pradhan (2.50, 2.30, 1.10 min defence, 8 points), Tripti Barik (2.20, 1.10, 1.00 min defence, 4 points), Chinmayi Pradhan (6 points), and K. Ramya (2.00 min defence, 4 points), but had to settle for silver.
Boys’ Final: Karnataka Dominate at Home
In the boys’ final, host Karnataka made full use of home conditions to defeat strong Maharashtra 35–30 and clinch the gold medal. Karnataka took a strong 23–12 lead at halftime and maintained control till the end. B. Vijay (1.48, 1.10 min defence, 8 points), Ibrahim (2.10 min defence, 4 points), Jeevan Rathod (1.50 min defence, 2 points), Jeevan K. (2.10 min defence), and Aniket (6 points) were instrumental in Karnataka’s victory. Despite the loss, Maharashtra’s silver-medal-winning performance was commendable, with Raj Jadhav (1.20 min defence, 8 points), Hardaya Vasave (1.30 min defence, 2 points), Parth Devkate (1 min defence, 4 points), Jitendra Vasave (1 min defence, 4 points), and Yogesh Pawar (1.50 min defence) putting up a spirited fight.
Individual Awards Honour Excellence
Several players were recognized for their exceptional performances during the championship. Sneha Lamkane (Maharashtra) won the ‘Janaki Award’, Diksha Katekar (Maharashtra) was named Best Attacker, and Archana Pradhan (Odisha) received the Best Defender award in the girls’ category. In the boys’ section, B. Vijay (Karnataka) was honored with the ‘Veer Abhimanyu Award’, Raj Jadhav (Maharashtra) won Best Attacker, and Prajjwal Y. (Karnataka) was declared Best Defender.
