58th Senior National Kho-Kho Championship
Maharashtra’s Double Impact: Men’s and Women’s Teams March into the Semi-Finals
High-Voltage Action at Kazipet; Maharashtra Ready for the Semi-Final Showdown
Kazipet (Telangana): The 58th Senior National Kho-Kho Championship, currently underway at the Railway Ground in Kazipet, has witnessed an impressive all-round performance by Maharashtra’s men’s and women’s teams, both of whom comfortably cleared the quarter-final stage to enter the semi-finals in style. Displaying a fine blend of speed, agility, sharp tactics and aggressive intent, Maharashtra outplayed their opponents and denied them any chance of a comeback. Match after match, the rising intensity and fighting spirit of the players kept spectators thoroughly engaged.
Semi-Final Line-up Confirmed; High-Voltage Matches Ahead
In the women’s semi-finals, Maharashtra will face Delhi, while Airport Authority will take on Odisha. In the men’s semi-finals, Maharashtra will clash with Kolhapur, and Railways will meet Odisha. These encounters are expected to deliver top-quality Kho-Kho action, with all four matches drawing keen attention from fans and experts alike.
Women’s Category: Maharashtra Dominate West Bengal
In the women’s quarter-final, Maharashtra defeated West Bengal by one innings and thirteen points (20–7) to book their semi-final berth. Maharashtra’s victory was powered by Priyanka Ingale (two point fifty minutes defence and four points), Sandhya Survase (unbeaten four point ten and one point forty minutes defence), Ashwini Shinde (three point forty minutes defence) and Suhani Dhotre (four points), who delivered consistent performances. For West Bengal, Dipika Choudhary (one point forty minutes defence), Tiyasa Helder (one point twenty minutes defence and two points) and Sushmita Das (one point twenty minutes defence) offered resistance.
Airport Authority’s Strong Push; Gujarat Outplayed
In another women’s quarter-final, the Airport Authority team defeated Gujarat, winning by three minutes and nine points (24–15). Key contributors for Airport Authority were Chitra B. (three point thirty minutes defence), Swati Patil (two point thirty minutes defence), Vaishnavi Pawar (one point forty minutes defence and two points) and Sneha Lamkane (unbeaten one point fifty minutes defence and two points). Gujarat’s effort was led by Urmila (one minute defence), Priya Choudhary (six points) and Upasana Choudhary (one point ten minutes defence).
Other Women’s Matches: Odisha Advance, Delhi Upset Kolhapur
In another women’s encounter, Odisha defeated Karnataka by four points (24–20). In a closely fought contest, Delhi stunned Kolhapur, securing a narrow two-point victory (27–25) to move ahead.
Men’s Category: Maharashtra Outclass Andhra Pradesh
In the men’s quarter-final, Maharashtra registered a commanding victory over Andhra Pradesh, winning by one innings and seven points (23–16). Maharashtra’s strong showing included Pratik Waikar (two and one point twenty minutes defence), Suyash Gargate (two minutes defence), Shubham Thorat (one point fifty minutes defence and four points), Nihar Dubale (eight points) and Aniket Chendvanekar (one point fifty minutes defence). Andhra Pradesh fought back through K. Ram Mohan (one point thirty minutes defence), Kiran (one point ten minutes defence and four points) and K. Phani (six points).
Kolhapur Overcome Delhi to Seal Semi-Final Spot
In another men’s quarter-final, Kolhapur defeated Delhi by twelve points (36–24). Kolhapur’s success was built on strong performances from Vijay Hajare (two and one point twenty minutes defence), Amit Patil (one point thirty minutes defence and four points), Devendra Dilip (one point fifty minutes defence), Mazhar Jamadar (six points) and Aranav Patankar (six points). Delhi’s challenge was led by Sujit (one and one minute defence), Mehul (one point thirty minutes defence and four points) and Rahul and Sushil Kumar (six points each).
Railways Shine Against Karnataka; Odisha Complete Semi-Final Line-up
In the men’s section, Railways defeated Karnataka by one innings and eight points (23–15). Railways’ victory featured notable contributions from Aditya Ganpule (three point forty minutes defence), Mahesh Shinde (three point forty minutes defence), Abhinandan Patil (six points), Arun Gunki (one minute defence) and Akshay Ganpule (one point twenty minutes defence). Karnataka’s efforts came from Mirappa (one point fifteen minutes defence), Jaswant (one point forty minutes defence) and Manoj Kumar (one minute defence and two points). In the final quarter-final, Odisha defeated Kerala, winning by three minutes and six points (29–23) to complete the men’s semi-final line-up.
Overall, the championship at Kazipet has reached an exciting phase, with Maharashtra asserting dominance in both categories and the semi-finals promising intense, high-quality Kho-Kho action.
