Hyderabad: The first Kho Kho World Cup will be held at the Indira Gandhi International Stadium in New Delhi from January 13 to 19, 2025. Teams from 24 countries, including India, England, Germany, United States and Brazil, will be taking part in the first Kho Kho World Cup.

The World Cup will be played in both men’s and women’s categories with 16 teams competing in each category.

The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup will see Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda from the African continent while Asia will be represented by India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea and Sri Lanka.

England, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland form the Europe cluster while teams from Canada and the United States of America form the North American continent.

Brazil and Peru will compete from South America while Australia and New Zealand will carry the Oceania banner.

The Kho Kho Federation of India Sudhanshu Mittal hoped the World Cup will be a massive leap for the sport and its popularity. “This historic championship represents a massive leap for Kho Kho, transforming it from a beloved local sport to a global phenomenon. With India leading this sporting revolution, the 2025 World Cup promises to be the big step that will take Kho Kho to the next stage in the global sports ecosystem,” Mittal said in a statement from the federation.

The general secretary of the Kho Kho Federation of India, MS Tyagi, said the vision of the federation is making the sport a global game and the World Cup is a testament to the sport’s global appeal. “The participation of 24 nations is a testament to Kho Kho’s growing international appeal. Our vision is to make this traditional Indian sport a truly global game, and this World Cup will serve as a milestone in achieving that goal,” he said in the statement.