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Kho Kho athletes miss crucial ground practice, says chairman of the Maharashtra kho kho association
Prior to the lockdown, the city was geared up to conduct the mayor’s kho kho cup where athletes from across the state had assembled at the Sanas ground hostel. However, the tournament was cancelled last minute
The month of April and May is packed with summer camps and private tournaments for kho kho athletes in the city. However, this year kho kho action has been put on hold due to covid-19 restrictions.
The camps are a great opportunity to spot raw talent especially in the under-14 age category, according to Sachin Godbole, chairman of the Maharashtra kho kho association.
“Summer camps are something which are conducted on a large extent in Maharashtra during these two months. Many camps also take place in villages across the state,” Godbole added.
Prior to the lockdown, the city was geared up to conduct the mayor’s kho kho cup where athletes from across the state had assembled at the Sanas ground hostel. However, the tournament was cancelled last minute. Most athletes have returned home from Pune.
It is difficult to explain kho kho techniques over video conference, according to Godbole.
“On the ground, you can quickly give a demo and players comprehend it,” he said.
More than the association, individual coaches and umpires are currently in touch with the players and many of them are sending athletes videos of fitness drills on a daily basis.
“What I have asked the coaches to do is to keep the athletes mentally fresh because many players may overthink in the current scenario and keeping them motivated is very important at the moment,” added Godbole.
The association is currently focusing on conducting online practice exams for umpires and coaches.
“A few days back we just announced an online practice exam for umpires. The idea behind it was to keep umpires in touch with rules. We have received a good number of entries and many new entrants tried to crack it. Now, we will be doing a similar thing for coaches,” Godbole said.
Normal season prediction
Most of the kho kho tournaments are conducted in September, October and November annually and the association is hoping that things will return to normal by September this year.
“The months of June, July and August are generally an off season for kho kho players where most of them focus on fitness. Due to the rainy season, grounds in the city are not available so our players prepare themselves in these three months and stay ready for the tournaments,” added Godbole.
Funding challenges
Kho kho is a traditional sport that attracts funding from most political parties, however with a large number of donations going to covid-19 response this year, it may hurt the sport.
“How much leaders would be able to support sports, we cannot say at the moment. Even if they are willing to do it, they need to check their budget and currently there are many other priorities than sports,” Godbole said.
The Maharashtra kho kho association has made a contribution of Rs 1,11,000 to the chief minister’s relief fund.
