Bhubaneswar: Odisha is hosting the 13th Junior State Kho Kho Championship 2025 for Boys and Girls kicks off at the District Sports Complex in Puri today. As many as 23 boys’ and 21 girls’ teams representing 23 districts, along with a special contingent of both boys and girls from Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), will vie for the championship title, with finals scheduled for December 1.

The championship is played entirely on state-of-the-art Kho Kho mats in a league format, ensuring continuous high-level competition among participating teams. A robust team of 40 officials, 45 coaches, and 45 technical experts has been deployed to uphold fair play and standard regulations during the event. The Championship is organized by Odisha Kho Kho Association.

“This championship is a platform to identify and nurture the next generation of Kho Kho talent from Odisha. The scale of participation reflects the growing enthusiasm for the sport across districts,” said Pradyumna Mishra, General Secretary, Odisha Kho Kho Association.

Earlier this year, Puri successfully hosted the 57th Senior National Kho Kho Championship from 31 March to 4 April 2025, which saw record participation of 40 men’s and 40 women’s teams from states, union territories, and institutional units/government departments, further cementing Odisha’s reputation as a premier venue for Kho Kho events.