1st Kho Kho World Cup
- England 30-45 Uganda
- Uganda 95-20 Australia
Uganda Kho Kho women team has recorded two victories so far at the inaugural World Cup in India.
Uganda opened with a 45-30 win over England on Tuesday, 14th January 2025.
This was followed by a comprehensive 95-20 victory against Australia at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi in India on Wednesday.
Against England, Uganda’s Grace Ojil was best attacker as Rose Nankumba shone brightest as the best player.
Ojil and Jemima Zalwango were the outstanding players for Uganda in the comprehensive win against Australia.
“We are excited for the performances against England and Australia. I salute the players for the bravery. We look forward the remaining games in the tournament” head coach Ephraim Makubuya remarked.
Uganda’s team delegation in India has the Uganda Kho Kho association president Mustapha Nsubuga, head coach Ephraim Makubuya, led by Harriet Apolot, the 3rd vice pesident of the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA).
Uganda’s team also has national athlete Emilly Nanziri, Cricketer Sharon Oloma, Olivia Nalubega, Jovita Lubango, Edinah Nattabi, Dorothy Nagawa, Shirat Mirembe, Jemima Zalwango, Olivia Tuhaise, Norah Nabasirye, Grace Ojil, Eunice Awori, Priscila Nambazira, Rose Nankumba and Mellon Amvioko.
This first historic Kho Kho world cup will attract a total of 24 countries.
Uganda is pooled in group C alongside fellow East Africans Kenya, Netherlands, England and Australia.
The next game on Tuesday afternoon is against Netherlands before the final group game with neighbors Kenya on 16th January 2025.
The other countries in contention include hosts India, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the United States of America (USA).
Team Uganda delegation:
- Head of delegation: Harriet Apolot
- Kho Kho president in Uganda: Mustafa Nsubuga
- Head coach: Ephraim Makubuya
Players:
Sharon Oloma, Olivia Nalubega, Jovita Lubango, Edinah Nattabi, Emilly Nanziri, Dorothy Nagawa, Shirat Mirembe, Jemima Zalwango, Olivia Tuhaise, Norah Nabasirye, Grace Ojil, Eunice Awori, Priscila Nambazira, Rose Nankumba and Mellon Amvioko
About Kho Kho sport:
Kho kho is a traditional South Asian sport that date to ancient India.
It is the second-most popular traditional tag game in the Indian sub-continent after Kabaddi.
Kho kho is played on a rectangular court with a central lane connecting two poles which are at either end of the court.
During the game, nine players from the chasing team (attacking team) are on the field, with eight of them sitting (crouched) in the central lane, while three runners from the defending team run around the court and try to avoid being touched.
Each sitting player on the chasing team faces the opposite half of the field that their adjacent teammates are facing.
At any time, one player from the chasing team (the ‘active chaser’/’attacker’) may run around the court to attempt to tag (touch) members of the defending team, with one point scored per tag, and each tagged defender required to leave the field; however, the active chaser cannot cross the central lane to access the other half of the field, and cannot change direction once they start running toward either pole.
The chasing team can get around these restrictions if the active chaser either switches roles with a sitting teammate (by touching them on the back while saying “Kho”) who is facing the other half of the court and therefore has access to it, or runs to the area behind either pole and then switches direction/half.
Each team has two turns to score and two turns to defend, with each turn lasting nine minutes. The team that scores the most points by the end of the game wins.
The sport is widely played across South Asia and also has a presence in other regions with a significant South Asian diaspora, such as South Africa and England.
It is played most often by school children, and is also a competitive sport.
The first franchise league for the sport, Ultimate Kho Kho was unveiled in India in August 2022.
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