61st Men’s and Women’s State Kho-Kho Championship
Raigad, Parbhani, Mumbai Suburban, Dharashiv and Ratnagiri Storm into Knockout Stage
Huge response to floodlit matches; quarter-final excitement continues
Beed /Sports Reporter- Bal Toraskar
The 61st Men’s and Women’s State Kho-Kho Championship and Selection Trials, organised by the Beed District Amateur Kho-Kho Association under the auspices of the Maharashtra Kho-Kho Association, continued to witness high-voltage action on the second day at the Shrimant Yogi Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sports Complex, Beed. Strong performances by Raigad, Ahmednagar, Ratnagiri, Parbhani and Beed ensured their progress into the quarter-final stage in both men’s and women’s sections.
Men’s Section: Beed, Parbhani, Raigad and Ratnagiri Impress
In the men’s category, host Beed defeated Jalgaon 32–22 by a margin of 10 points. Beed’s Abhijit Hiwale (3.30 min defence), Abhishek Hiwale (1.30 min defence and 4 points), Shubham Bahir (1.30 min defence and 12 points) and Tukaram Karande (1.30 and 3.10 min defence) played a key role, while Jalgaon’s Sanjay Pawar (2 and 2.10 min defence) and Mohit Mahale (12 points) put up a spirited fight.
Parbhani registered a one-sided 31–8 victory over Hingoli, winning by 23 points with one innings advantage. Parbhani’s Abhay Kondgir (2.20 min defence and 2 points), Arjun Kale (2 min defence and 2 points) and Omkar Barahate (8 points) dominated the match, while Hingoli’s Omkar Bhosale and Krishna contributed with fighting performances.
Nandurbar defeated Sindhudurg 37–22 by 15 points. Nandurbar’s Kailas Patil (2.30 and unbeaten 3.20 min defence), Sachin Gosavi (2.20 min defence and 6 points) and Rohit Gavit (2 and 1.40 min defence with 4 points) were outstanding, while Sindhudurg’s Rodrig Christian (2.55 min defence and 2 points) and Mahadev, Siddhesh and Bhushan (4 points each) showed resilience.
Ratnagiri beat Latur 31–14 with a one-innings win. Ratnagiri’s Sarthak Kadam (4.20 min defence), Om Pawar (2.10 min defence and 8 points) and Ajay Pawar (6 points) delivered a strong performance.
Other Men’s Results
Mumbai Suburban defeated Nandurbar 49–16 with one innings advantage, Sangli overpowered Jalgaon 48–16 by 32 points, Raigad beat Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar 28–12, and Mumbai edged past Parbhani 29–22 with a one-innings win.
Women’s Section: Ratnagiri, Mumbai Suburban and Dharashiv Shine
In the women’s category, Ratnagiri dominated Nandurbar 50–6 with a one-innings victory of 44 points. Ratnagiri’s Sakshi Lingayat (3.10 min defence), Tejal Pawar (2.50 min defence) and Vaishnavi Futak (8 points) starred, while Nandurbar’s Neha Vasave (1 min defence) earned appreciation for her effort.
Mumbai Suburban secured a narrow 30–26 win over Mumbai. Suburban’s Sakshi Wafelkar (2.30 and unbeaten 2.10 min defence with 4 points), Sakshi Parsekar (1.30 min defence and 6 points) and Siddhi Hindalekar (2 min defence and 4 points) were influential, while Mumbai’s Khushboo Sutar (1.05 min defence and 12 points), Sejal Yadav (2.28 and unbeaten 1.20 min defence) and Ishali Ambre (2.20 min defence and 4 points) kept spectators engaged till the final whistle.
In other matches, Thane defeated Dhule 42–14 with a one-innings margin of 28 points, Solapur beat Ahmednagar 34–14 by 20 points, Dharashiv overcame Latur 34–10 with a one-innings win and later defeated Ratnagiri 57–16 convincingly.
Quarter-final Stage and Spectator Response
Following the league matches, the winning teams have advanced to the quarter-final stage, where intense knockout battles are expected. Sports enthusiasts from Beed have responded enthusiastically, with large crowds turning up for the floodlit matches. Notably, more than 14,500 spectators were present on the opening day, creating a vibrant and electrifying sporting atmosphere in the city.
