Kho Kho Ground Measurement & Dimensions
A Kho kho game needs a rectangular field firstly of dimension 118 ft. x 59 ft. There are 2 rectangles at the two ends with 52.5 ft. x 9 ft. dimension. And there is one wooden pole each in the middle of these rectangles. There is a centre lane of 925 in x12 in and a total of eight lanes which are across the centerline of 630 in x 12 in. This grid makes small rectangles of 52.5 ft. x 7.5 ft. and central lane divides two parts to the at the right angle to it. There is a free zone tangent to the post-line at the end of the central lane, in which 2 wooden poles are fixed which are 47 inches in height. The circumference of them ranges from 12 inches to 16 inches.
The main equipment to be the ground itself and the other equipment used in this game are pole strings, metallic tape for measuring purpose, lime powder, wire nails, two watches, rings of an inner circumference of 12 inches and outer circumference of 16 inches, whistle to use for score shots and also some equipment to keep the record of the result.
Kho kho game is a very famous tag game in India. Among all the tag games played across India, it is the second most played just after Kabaddi. It is played by the Indian community in South Africa also.
Origin of Kho Kho Game
Kho-kho is an Indian game of chase that began in the 20th century in Gymkhana Poona. The first committee framed the rules of the game back in 1914 from Gymkhana Baroda. The publication date of the rules was 1924. First, ever national tournament of this game took place in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
History
It is believed that in ancient Maharashtra, this type of game used to be played in Rath and it was known as ‘Rather’. The name ‘Kho Kho’ came from a Sanskrit root word ‘syu’ which means ‘get up go’. After the successful kick-start of the game with its perfectly framed rules, The Asian Kho Kho Federation was found in 1999 while the South Asian Games 3rd edition was running.
How to Play Kho Kho Game?
This game is played between two teams and each team consists of 12 players each but at a time 9 players can be on the field. There are 2 innings with 9 minutes each. One team members are the Chasers and the other ones are Defenders. Then they switch their roles after 9 minutes.
At first, all the chasers sit in the middle of the field on their knees and in a zig-zag manner i.e. every adjacent team member will sit facing the opposite direction of each other.
After taking the position, the defenders will enter the field in the group of 3 and start running. They can run anywhere in the field and then the chasers’ work begins.
Among the chasers, only one member can chase defenders at a time to touch him/her and get him/her out of the game. But a chaser can chase the defenders who are there in the side of the field he/she is facing. If the defender goes to the other side of the field, the chaser has to tap the back of his/her teammate facing that side of the field and say ‘Kho!’ and has to sit in that place so that only one chaser can chase at a time. Thus, when all the defenders are out, then another team of 3 defenders can enter the field and the whole cycle starts.
Then after 9 minutes, teams swap their role as chasers and defenders. The team who will get the other team members out in lesser time wins the match.
Kho Kho Rules
There are some kho kho rules given below:-
- Among the chasers, only one person can be an active chaser at a time.
- The defenders have to enter the field in a group of 3.
- A defender can run in between the sitting chasers but a chaser cannot. A chaser can go to the other side of the field by running around the pole only. If a player does any mistake, there is a penalty in which that player has to start all over again from a pole.
- An active chaser has to start chasing from one of the poles.
- If all the players of a team get eliminated in the stipulated time, the team will be declared as the winners.
- Innings break is of 5 minutes.
- Two referees are there in the field with stopwatches to calculate the score and act as keepers of the rules in the game.
- There is a card system in the Kho kho rules game too. A yellow card is showed as a warning for fouls. If a player is shown the red card, that player has to go out of the game and also cannot play the next game in that particular tournament. 2 consecutive yellow cards do the same.
Awards for Kho kho in India
There are a lot of tournaments and championships that take place in India for Kho kho. So these championships bring a lot of awards and prizes to the people who shine in the game.
- Arjuna Award
- Eklavya Award for men
- Rani Laxmi Bai Award for women
- Veer Abhimanyu Award for boys of 18 years old.
- Janaki Award for girls of 16 years old.
Benefits of Playing Kho Kho
- It is one of the most popular tag games in India which is almost inexpensive.
- The game involves squatting, running, chasing and lots of physical activities to keep the body and mind fit.
- This game increases the stamina, strength, and concentration of a person.
- The tricks and strategies of the game help to have a sharper brain altogether.
- It is a very good game for kids without any mess and also with a lot of activities regarding the mind and body.
The most popular tag game of India, Kho kho game is played by a large number of people because of its simplicity. Age is no bar for this game. This game also increases the discipline, obedience, and sportsmanship within a person.
