Iran come third at 2025 Kho Kho World Cup

TEHRAN – Iran secured third place in the inaugural edition of the Kho Kho World Cup.

Team Melli lost to Nepal with a score of 72-29 in the semifinals, while India triumphed over South Africa, defeating them 60-42 in the other semifinal match.

India will face Nepal in the final.

In the quarterfinals, Iran had a commanding victory against Kenya, winning 86-18. During the group stage, the Persians achieved impressive wins over Argentina (117-14), the Netherlands (142-22), South Africa (56-32), and Ghana (61-30) in Group B.

This first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup features 20 men’s and 19 women’s national teams competing in two stages: a group stage followed by a knockout stage.

The tournament is being held at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi, India, from Jan. 13 to 19, organized by the Kho Kho Federation of India and the International Kho Kho Federation.

Kho Kho is a traditional South Asian sport with roots in ancient India and Nepal. It ranks as the second-most popular traditional tag game in the Indian subcontinent, following kabaddi. The game is played on a rectangular court with a central lane connecting two poles situated at either end. During the match, nine players from the chasing team (the attacking team) take the field, with eight sitting in the central lane while three runners from the defending team navigate the court, attempting to avoid being touched. Each sitting player on the chasing team faces the opposite half of the field from their adjacent teammates.