"Work going on for development of women's league": Ultimate Kho Kho CEO Tenzing Niyogi

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], January 7 : Ultimate Kho Kho CEO and Commissioner Tenzing Niyogi said that the work is going to introduce the women's version of the tournament and a glimpse of women's Kho Kho could be seen in the ongoing second season.
The second season of the tournament started on December 24 and will go on until January 13 this year. In an interview with ANI recently, Tenzing talked about the possibility of women's Ultimate Kho Kho, the ongoing season two of the competition and its development.
"There are plans that are going on. Some contemplation and work are going on for its development (women's Ultimate Kho Kho). You will get to see some avatars of women's Kho Kho in season two. The top 50 women players across India will be invited to have an exhibition match. This will remind people of Indian women's Kho Kho and how fast it is. In season three or near the fourth one, we will be taking this leap (bringing the Women's Ultimate Kho Kho). We already have a list of buyers who are interested in buying teams for this league and it is really heartening. The current focus is on the season two," said Tenzing to ANI.
Talking about the response to season two so far, Tenzing said that the league is doing really well in terms of business and outreach.
"We have had really great digital numbers and are waiting for TV data. The way we have unified and simplified the rules, they have become understandable for the TV audience. We have employed spidey cams and an 18-camera set up to capture what is the fastest sport in India. Capturing every essence of the format, gameplay and skill takes people closer to their television and enjoy a Kho Kho match. Sky dives, pole dives and a simple touch are given two points each. Rules have been simplified and people are able to understand whether it is a pole dive or a sky dive. They are not just interested in how a player gets out or earns two points, but how it is done. The way players conduct themselves on the field becomes important to the audience. People are enjoying the sky dives, pole dives, all the antics employed by teams, the camaraderie of a team and all the rivalries," said the CEO.
Tenzing said that many notable players from season one, for example, Ramji Kashyap, Aniket Pote, Milind Chawrekar, Pratik Waikar etc have become "heroes" and youngsters both on and off the field are inspired by them.
"The players who stood out last season have become heroes. In most countries, sports leagues determine the selection of the national team. In such a situation, while starting a league, one thinks about how to develop heroes. This helps in building a fanbase, both of fans who love watching it and the ones who actually play the sport," said Tenzing.
"These players are high-endurance athletes, captains and 'Virat Kohlis' of their respective franchise. Fans, including young children, are shouting their names in the arena. These players had never experienced it before. This year, we also drafted around 33 players who are between 16-18 years old. They have the aspiration to become like these aforementioned players, who have turned into big men now. While sharing the dressing room with them, the experience and exposure of youngsters have only gathered momentum," he added.
Talking about how challenging it was to get Rs 100 crore for the organisation for the first two seasons, Tenzing said that it was indeed challenging, but over the years, a lot of strategies, faith, collaborations and trust have been shown.
"It was very challenging. Amit Burman (former Dabur Chairman), the primary investor in his personal capacity, believed in this property when I went to him with the idea back in 2018. What is interesting is that it is not a two-man dream. This has been a lot of hard work, strategy, collaborations, trust and faith shown by all, including the players and franchise owners who believed in this idea," said Tenzing.
Odisha Juggernauts (owned by the Government of Odisha) and Rajasthan Warriors (owned by Capri Global Group), the other teams in the league are Chennai Quick Guns (owned by KLO Sports), Gujarat Giants (owned by Adani Sportsline), Mumbai Khiladis (owned by Punit Balan Group) and last edition runners-up Telugu Yoddhas (owned by GMR Sports) are the participating teams in the tournament.
A total of 145 athletes, inclusive of 33 promising youths aged between 16 and 18, hailing from diverse corners of the nation, are involved in the matches over the ensuing 21 days, with the finals set to take place on January 13.