Govt approves Kho Kho team's participation in 1st International Championship

The Sports Ministry today approved the participation of a Kho Kho team from India in the first International Kho Kho Championships to be held in England from September 1 to 4.

The approval means the government will extend financial support to the squad.

"Financial support for participation of the Kho Kho team in an international event has been approved for the first time in relaxation of extant guidelines of the Ministry, which lay down that sports disciplines like Kho Kho, which are categorised as 'Others', will not be eligible for financial support for participation in international sporting events," Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said in a statement.

The statement said that the decision to provide financial support to the Kho Kho Federation of India for participation in the first International Kho Kho Championship has been taken with a view to give boost to the traditional Indian sport and its players.

It also added that the support will pave the way for Kho Kho's future mainstreaming at the international level as well as its possible inclusion in multidisciplinary sporting events like the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.