61st State Kho-Kho Championship Begins with a Bang
Strong Opening Day at Beed Venue
Beed, Dec 18/Bal Torasker
The 61st Men’s and Women’s State Kho-Kho Championship and Selection Trials began on a high note at the Shrimant Yogi Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sports Complex in Beed. The championship is being conducted with the approval of the Maharashtra Kho-Kho Association and organised by the Beed District Amateur Kho-Kho Association. On the very first day, strong teams made winning starts and displayed their dominance. In the men’s section, Solapur, Mumbai, Pune, Sangli, and Mumbai Suburbs registered victories, while in the women’s section, Dharashiv, Pune, and Ratnagiri began their campaigns on a winning note.
Men’s Section: Dominant Performances by Solapur, Mumbai and Pune
In the morning session, Solapur defeated Nanded by 45–20. For Solapur, Ajit Randive impressed with 2.40 minutes of defence and 4 points in attack, Pratik Shinde contributed 2.20 minutes of defence with 4 attack points, while Zuber Sheikh delivered an outstanding performance with 1.10 minutes of defence and a remarkable 10 attack points.
Mumbai Registers One-Sided Win
Mumbai recorded a convincing 56–8 victory over Hingoli. Hitesh Agre remained unbeaten with 2.20 minutes of defence and 6 attack points, Samyak Jadhav added 1.46 minutes of defence with 2 points, while Vedant Desai contributed 1.50 minutes of defence along with 4 attack points.
Pune Overpowers Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Pune defeated Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar by 53–18. Pratik Waikar led Pune’s performance with 3.20 minutes of defence and 2 attack points, Shubham Thorat added 2.20 minutes of defence, and Atharva Dahane contributed 2.50 minutes of solid defence.
Thane Stages Strong Second-Half Comeback
The match between Thane and Palghar was tied 15–15 at halftime. However, Thane stepped up their performance in the second half to defeat Palghar by 43–29. For Thane, Harshit Koli recorded 2.39 and 2.10 minutes of defence with 2 attack points, while Shubham Dagale added 1.30 minutes of defence and 6 points. Despite the loss, Palghar’s Nimesh Kalpane impressed with 1.50 minutes of defence and 8 points, and Akash Mathkar contributed 1.30 and 2.10 minutes of defence with 2 points.
Ahilyanagar Wins by Big Margin
Ahilyanagar secured a commanding 45–12 victory over Jalna. Narendra Tatkade contributed 3.10 minutes of defence, Prithviraj added 2.50 minutes of defence, while Vishal Dukale remained unbeaten with 1.50 minutes of defence and 4 attack points.
Other Men’s Results
In other men’s matches, Sangli defeated Beed by 40–20, Mumbai Suburbs overcame Sindhudurg by 46–22, and Dharashiv registered a massive 67–12 win over Latur.
Women’s Section: Dharashiv, Pune and Ratnagiri Shine
In the women’s section, Dharashiv defeated Parbhani by 57–10. Janhavi Pethe led the team with 3.20 minutes of defence and 10 attack points, Pranali contributed 3.10 minutes of defence with 6 points, and Sandhya Survase added 3.10 minutes of defence along with 8 attack points.
Pune Women Cruise Past Sindhudurg
Pune women registered an easy 55–12 win over Sindhudurg. Sakshi Kare contributed 3 minutes of defence and 2 points, Dipali Rathod remained unbeaten in both innings with 1.30 and 2.20 minutes of defence and 8 attack points, while Bhagyashree Bade added 2 minutes of defence with 10 points. Sindhudurg’s Saniya Palekar fought hard and scored 4 attack points.
Ratnagiri Defeats Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Ratnagiri defeated Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar by 42–14. Sayali Karlekar contributed 2.30 minutes of defence with 2 points, Aishwarya Sawant remained unbeaten in both innings with 2 minutes of defence each and 4 attack points, Vaishnavi Futak scored 8 points, and Apeksha Sutar added 2.20 minutes of defence with 2 points. For the losing side, Komal Bhagwat recorded 1.10 minutes of defence.
Other Women’s Results
In other women’s matches, Sangli defeated Jalgaon by a massive 42–2 margin, while Solapur recorded a comfortable win over Hingoli.
Presence of International Players Adds Prestige
The championship has gained further prominence with the participation of international and national-level players, including Indian women’s team captain and gold medallist Priyanka Ingale (Pune), Ashwini Shinde (Dharashiv), Indian men’s team captain Pratik Waikar (Pune), Suyash Gargate (Pune), and Aniket Pote (Mumbai Suburbs), adding significant excitement and quality to the competition.
