39th Sub-Junior State Kho-Kho Championship
Dharashiv, Mumbai, Pune, Sangli, Solapur and Satara advance to knockout stage
Kho-Kho fever grips Wadala; Day Two witnesses intense contests
Mumbai/Sports Reporter- Bal Toraskar
The 39th Sub-Junior (Boys and Girls) State Kho-Kho Championship and Selection Trials, underway at the Physical Education Mandal ground in Wadala, gathered tremendous momentum on the second day. Every match reflected speed, agility, tactical awareness and fighting spirit. In both boys’ and girls’ sections, teams from Dharashiv, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburbs, Pune, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Sangli and Satara produced commanding performances to book their places in the knockout round, further raising the excitement of the tournament.
Thrilling one-point win for Mumbai against Parbhani (Boys)
Hosts Mumbai edged past Parbhani by a narrow 26–25 margin (half-time 14–11) in a gripping encounter, where the three-point lead at the break proved decisive. Mumbai’s victory was powered by Yash Jadhav (2 & 3 min defence, 2 points), Adhiraj Gurav (2.10 min defence, 4 points), Rudrasingh Chavan (1 min defence, 6 points), and Arush Tambe (unbeaten 1.30 min defence, 6 points), all contributing in one continuous spell. Parbhani fought hard through Soham Panchal (1.45 & 1.40 min defence, 2 points), Abhang Deshmukh (1.50 & 1.15 min defence), and Govind Sharma (2.10 min defence), but fell short in the final moments.
Mumbai Suburbs dominate Hingoli (Boys)
Mumbai Suburbs registered a one-sided 32–05 victory (half-time 27–00) over Hingoli, winning by 27 points with one inning to spare. The standout performers were Harshad Shirke (unbeaten 7 points, unbeaten 3.20 min defence) and Prajyot Gujar (6 points), who controlled the match throughout. Hingoli’s Arjun Korde (1.20 min defence) could not prevent the heavy defeat.
Dharashiv overpower Beed convincingly (Boys)
Dharashiv defeated Beed 28–10, sealing an 18-point win with one inning in hand. Dharashiv’s success was built on the solid performances of Prafull Vasave (4.50 min defence, 6 points), Suraj Kakade (unbeaten 1.20 min defence, 4 points), and Om Pawar (2 min defence, 4 points). For Beed, Saurabh Kharat (1.35 min defence, 4 points) and Shreyash Jadhav (1 min defence) showed resistance.
Latur clinch close contest against Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Girls)
In an exciting girls’ match, Latur defeated Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar 26–24. Despite trailing 12–13 at half-time, Latur raised their game in the second inning. Key contributors were Sayali Deshmukh (2.40 & 1.20 min defence, 6 points), Sanskruti Shinde (1.40 min, unbeaten 1.20 min defence), and Sandhya Ghogre (6 points). Sambhajinagar’s efforts from Ojaswi Shinde (1.35 & 1.20 min defence, 2 points) and Madhura Pawar (8 points) were commendable but insufficient.
Jalna hold nerve against Nanded (Girls)
Jalna secured a 31–24 victory over Nanded, maintaining their one-point half-time lead to finish 7 points ahead. Jalna’s win was shaped by Samiksha (3.30 min defence) and Kranti Madan (2.20 & 1.40 min defence, 8 points). Nanded replied through Sangita Matke (2.20 & 1.20 min defence) and Prachi Dikale (6 points).
Boys – Brief Results : Raigad beat Latur 31–19 by 12 points; Nandurbar thrashed Sindhudurg 41–08, winning by 33 points with one inning to spare; Ratnagiri defeated Dhule 26–17 (half-time 10–10) by 9 points; Ahmednagar overcame Nanded 29–13, winning by 16 points with one inning in hand.
Girls – Brief Results : Nandurbar defeated Raigad 48–20 (half-time 22–14) by 28 points; Ahmednagar crushed Sindhudurg 44–02, winning by 42 points with one inning to spare; Beed beat Mumbai Suburbs 30–24 (half-time 20–12), winning by 6 points with 1.20 minutes remaining.
Inauguration highlights importance of grassroots development
Earlier, the championship was inaugurated by Anand Pednekar of Pednekar Jewellers and Padma Shri Uday Deshpande. Addressing the gathering, Prof. Dr. Chandrakant Jadhav, Secretary General, Maharashtra Kho-Kho Association, emphasised that competitions for the under-14 age group are vital for strengthening the foundation of indigenous sports. The dais included Padma Shri Uday Deshpande, Prof. Dr. Ghanshyam Dhokrat, Competition Committee Chairman Sandeep Tawde, Mumbai Kho-Kho Association President Adv. Arun Deshmukh, Chief Executive Suresh Vishwakarma, and Referees’ Committee Joint Secretary Nanasaheb Zhambare. The programme was compered and concluded with a vote of thanks by Shiv Chhatrapati Awardee Parag Ambekar. The event began with an impressive march-past by 750 players from 48 teams representing 24 districts.
Pre-quarterfinal fixtures announced
Boys: Dharashiv vs Palghar; Nandurbar vs Ratnagiri; Raigad vs Satara; Pune vs Mumbai Suburbs; Sangli vs Nashik; Jalna vs Thane; Mumbai vs Ahmednagar; Solapur vs Sambhajinagar.
Girls: Solapur vs Ahmednagar; Thane vs Mumbai; Sangli vs Jalgaon; Parbhani vs Satara; Nandurbar vs Dharashiv; Latur vs Pune; Beed vs Jalna; Nashik vs Nanded.
