Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Full schedule, teams and live streaming details

The inaugural edition of the Kho Kho World Cup will take place from January 13 to January 19 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi

The Indian sports fraternity is set to write another iconic chapter in the history of sports as it hosts the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup from Monday, January 13, to Sunday, January 19, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. The tournament will feature men’s and women’s division matches running simultaneously. A total of 20 teams will participate in the men’s division, while 19 teams will feature in the women’s division. The Indian men’s team will start its campaign against Nepal on January 13, while the women’s team will begin its campaign against South Korea on January 14.

 

Rules of Kho Kho 

 

Kho Kho is a traditional Indian sport played between two teams, each consisting of 12 players, with 9 players on the field at a time. The game takes place on a rectangular field measuring 27 metres by 16 metres, divided by a central lane lined with eight evenly spaced wooden poles. The objective of the game is for the chasing team, known as the chasers, to tag players from the opposing defending team within a set time.

 

Chasers sit in a line along the central lane, alternating directions, while one active chaser attempts to tag the defenders. The active chaser can only run along the central lane, change direction by circling the poles, or pass the role to a teammate by giving them a "Kho" tap. Meanwhile, the defenders rely on speed and strategy to dodge the chasers, often moving between the free zones at either end of the field.

 

The game consists of two innings, with each team taking turns to chase and defend for seven minutes per inning. Points are scored each time a defender is tagged, and the team with the highest score at the end wins.

 

Kho Kho World Cup 2025 teams 

Men’s division

• Group A: India, Nepal, Peru, Brazil, Bhutan
• Group B: South Africa, Ghana, Argentina, Netherlands, Iran
• Group C: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Korea, USA, Poland
• Group D: England, Germany, Malaysia, Australia, Kenya

Women’s division

• Group A: India, South Korea, Iran, Malaysia
• Group B: England, Australia, Kenya, Uganda, Netherlands
• Group C: Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Germany, Bangladesh
• Group D: South Africa, Poland, Peru, Indonesia, New Zealand

Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Format 

The Kho Kho World Cup 2025 will be played in a round-robin format, followed by knockout matches. The teams are divided into four groups of five teams each (Group A in the women’s division will have only four teams). Every team will play one match against each of the other teams in their group. At the end of the group stages, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.

 

The event will follow knockout rules from the quarterfinal stage, with winners qualifying for the semifinals and then the finals. The winner of the finals will earn the right to call themselves the first-ever Kho Kho world champions. A single loss in the knockout stage will result in elimination from the tournament.

 

Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Full schedule 

Men’s division 

Date	Match	Group	Time (IST)
Jan 13, Mon	India vs Nepal	A	8:30 PM
Jan 14, Tue	South Africa vs Ghana	B	10:30 AM
Jan 14, Tue	Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka	C	11:15 AM
Jan 14, Tue	England vs Germany	D	11:15 AM
Jan 14, Tue	Ghana vs Netherlands	B	11:15 AM
Jan 14, Tue	Peru vs Bhutan	A	12:30 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Argentina vs Iran	B	1:00 PM
Jan 14, Tue	South Korea vs Poland	C	2:45 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Malaysia vs Kenya	D	4:00 PM
Jan 14, Tue	South Africa vs Netherlands	B	4:30 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Bangladesh vs USA	C	5:15 PM
Jan 14, Tue	England vs Australia	D	6:30 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Nepal vs Peru	A	6:30 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Ghana vs Argentina	B	7:45 PM
Jan 14, Tue	India vs Brazil	A	8:15 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Sri Lanka vs USA	C	10:30 AM
Jan 15, Wed	Australia vs Kenya	D	11:00 AM
Jan 15, Wed	Nepal vs Brazil	A	11:15 AM
Jan 15, Wed	Ghana vs Netherlands	B	11:15 AM
Jan 15, Wed	Germany vs Australia	D	10:00 AM
Jan 15, Wed	Bangladesh vs South Korea	C	12:30 PM
Jan 15, Wed	South Africa vs Argentina	B	2:45 PM
Jan 15, Wed	England vs Malaysia	D	3:15 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Brazil vs Bhutan	A	5:15 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Netherlands vs Iran	B	5:15 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Sri Lanka vs South Korea	C	7:45 PM
Jan 15, Wed	India vs Peru	A	8:15 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Nepal vs Bhutan	A	9:15 AM
Jan 16, Thu	Ghana vs Iran	B	8:45 AM
Jan 16, Thu	Germany vs Kenya	D	10:30 AM
Jan 16, Thu	Sri Lanka vs Poland	C	10:00 AM
Jan 16, Thu	Peru vs Brazil	A	11:15 AM
Jan 16, Thu	Malaysia vs Australia	D	12:30 PM
Jan 16, Thu	South Korea vs USA	C	3:15 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Bangladesh vs Poland	C	5:45 PM
Jan 16, Thu	India vs Bhutan	A	8:15 PM
Jan 17, Fri	Quarter-finals	-	11:45 AM onwards
Jan 18, Sat	Semi-finals	-	5:45 PM onwards
Jan 19, Sun	Final	-	8:15 PM

 

Women’s division 

Date	Match	Group	Time (IST)
Jan 14, Tue	England vs Australia	B	11:45 AM
Jan 14, Tue	Nepal vs Bhutan	C	10:00 AM
Jan 14, Tue	South Africa vs New Zealand	D	10:00 AM
Jan 14, Tue	Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh	C	12:30 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Kenya vs Netherlands	B	3:15 PM
Jan 14, Tue	England vs Uganda	B	5:45 PM
Jan 14, Tue	India vs South Korea	A	7:00 PM
Jan 14, Tue	South Africa vs Peru	D	5:15 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Nepal vs Germany	C	4:00 PM
Jan 14, Tue	Iran vs Malaysia	A	7:45 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Australia vs Uganda	B	10:00 AM
Jan 15, Wed	England vs Kenya	B	12:30 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Uganda vs Netherlands	B	4:00 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Nepal vs Sri Lanka	C	2:45 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Germany vs Bangladesh	C	6:30 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Peru vs Indonesia	D	6:30 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Malaysia vs South Korea	A	7:45 PM
Jan 15, Wed	Bhutan vs Germany	C	11:45 AM
Jan 15, Wed	New Zealand vs Peru	D	1:00 PM
Jan 15, Wed	South Africa vs Poland	D	4:30 PM
Jan 15, Wed	India vs Iran	A	7:00 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Bhutan vs Bangladesh	C	8:45 AM
Jan 16, Thu	Kenya vs Uganda	B	11:15 AM
Jan 16, Thu	New Zealand vs Indonesia	D	11:45 AM
Jan 16, Thu	Nepal vs Bangladesh	C	4:30 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Sri Lanka vs Germany	C	1:00 PM
Jan 16, Thu	India vs Malaysia	A	7:00 PM
Jan 16, Thu	South Africa vs Indonesia	D	6:30 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Bhutan vs Sri Lanka	C	7:45 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Iran vs South Korea	A	4:00 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Poland vs Peru	D	12:30 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Australia vs Netherlands	B	10:00 AM
Jan 16, Thu	England vs Netherlands	B	4:00 PM
Jan 16, Thu	Australia vs Kenya	B	5:15 PM
Jan 16, Thu	New Zealand vs Poland	D	6:30 PM
Jan 17, Fri	Quarter-finals	-	10:30 AM onwards
Jan 18, Sat	Semi-finals	-	4:30 PM onwards
Jan 19, Sun	Final	-	7:00 PM

Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Live streaming, timings and telecast details

When will the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 begin? 

The men’s division of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 will begin on Monday, January 13, while the first match of the women’s division is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, January 14.

 

What will be the venue for the Kho Kho World Cup 2025? 

All the matches of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 will be played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

 

How many teams will feature in the Kho Kho World Cup 2025? 

In the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, a total of 20 teams will play in the men’s division, while 19 teams will participate in the women’s division.

 

When will the final of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 take place? 

The final of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 for both men’s and women’s divisions is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 19.

 

Where to watch the live telecast of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 matches in India? 

Fans in India can watch the live telecast of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 matches on Star Sports Network and DD Sports.

 

Where to watch the live streaming of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 matches in India? 

Fans in India can enjoy the live streaming of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 matches on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.