Ultimate Kho Kho has brought the sport to mat from 'mitti': Telugu Yoddhas' Arun Gunki

New Delhi [India], January 3 : Arun Gunki, a Kho Kho player currently representing Telugu Yoddhas in the Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK) season two, opened up on his team's performances in the ongoing tournament as well as his performance.
In an interview with ANI, Gunki talked about his team, his Kho Kho career, and how a traditional sport like Kho Kho has changed due to the emergence of Ultimate Kho Kho.
Gunki told ANI, "The team's performance has been great. My performance has not been upto my expectations. There are small mistakes that have caused inconsistency in my performance. There are three-four players who are in great form."
Telugu Yoddhas is currently at number three on the points table with four wins, two losses, and a total of 12 points.
On losing to Odisha Juggernauts by just one point in the final of the inaugural edition in 2022, Gunki said that it was heartbreaking for the team.
"That loss was heartbreaking and caused us sadness because we had won at one point. We played really well. We had initially thought that the match would be one-sided. But the other team also played well and made a comeback. During the last few moments, we committed some errors and hence focused on defence in training from later one," he said.
Reflecting on his Kho Kho journey, Gunki said that it all started when he played Kho Kho in school for fun and participated in a local tournament.
"I was in school and played Kho Kho for fun. I played in a school tournament and did well. I started liking the sport. I later played in district tournaments. Some players of my club, the Lotus Club, came to our school and taught us. From there, I started playing more," said Gunki.
But the journey was not easy as his father was a vegetable seller and he had to choose between studying in class 10 and Kho Kho. But his trainers helped him stay in touch with his favourite sport and he eventually managed to earn the support of his family.
"I was not strong financially. I was able to manage my diet well because my dad used to sell vegetables. During my 10th class, I had a state tournament. But my parents and school wanted me to study. But the ones who trained me told my parents that he is playing well. I wanted to play. My instructors told my parents that he could go to nationals. I was selected for nationals and won a gold medal. From there on, my family started supporting me more. My father would come to watch me play for Maharashtra. Then, I got national-level medals in U17 while playing for my college and gold in U19 for two years at the state level. I also captained the Maharashtra U19 team," said Gunki.
But his journey came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic due to which he was forced to sell vegetables to earn money. But still, he used to get time for training and utilised it well.
"During COVID-19, the financial condition was not good at the house. Tournaments were not happening either, stripping me of all money that could help me with practice and diet. My uncle used to sell vegetables as well. He asked me to come with him and I used to go and sell vegetables with him. I used to practice at home. I was uncertain if nationals would happen, I will play. People in my family asked me to focus at work," said Gunki.
Gunki said that the Ultimate Kho Kho tournament has helped the sport go from being played in clay to being played on a mat.
"This a 'mitti ka game'. Everyone has played it at some point. But it was not glamorous like cricket and football. But due to UKK, it has come from mitti to mat. New rules, the role of Wazir etc have been added. People are liking it. Last season was also good. People are now understanding Kho Kho and will like it more as time goes by. People are coming forward to support Kho Kho as well," he concluded.