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Kho-Kho — Step-by-Step Roadmap

Governed by Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) · International Kho Kho Federation ·Last checked 17 Oct 2026

The whole Kho-Kho journey, 0 to 100, in order: the four stages from a local club to the international level, who can start, the detailed route with trials and selection rules, what is open at every age, where to train, who pays, and the jobs and money after. Every step is taken from the same official sources as the main Kho-Kho guide.

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01 Four stages, in order

Zero to podium — the four stages

  1. Stage 1 · 8–14 · school Grassroots & local entry

    Play for your school and district; kho-kho is an NSTC school sport (8–14). State associations run sub-junior and junior state championships. [14][6]

  2. Stage 2 · U18 · 10–18 State to national breakthrough

    KKFI sub-junior and junior nationals; KIYG 2026 lists kho-kho, and KKFI offers a scholarship form for KIYG semi-finalist teams. A top-4 national or top-2 state team opens SAI Training Centres. [6][21][10][14]

  3. Stage 3 · Senior National camp & elite trials

    NCOEs at Dharamshala (girls) and Gandhinagar; Senior National championships feed the India squad. [14][2]

  4. Stage 4 · India team World Cup & Asian events

    Not Olympic — India won both titles at the first Kho Kho World Cup 2025; the government wants the sport at the Asian Games and Olympics. [2][4]

Fuel, from stage 1: food first. Pair cereals with pulses about 3:1 — roti or rice with dal, chana or rajma; vegetarians add milk or curd, others eggs, fish or meat. ICMR-NIN says most athletes get enough protein from food and protein powders are unnecessary; NADA warns that no supplement is risk-free. [22][23]

02 Physical benchmarks & anti-doping

Age papers and anti-doping

  • For sub-junior and junior nationals, each player's eligibility certificate must be signed by the head of the school or college with the date and place of birth, admission number, class, attendance and a sealed photograph, and countersigned by the state association. [9]
  • Under the anti-doping code you must be available for testing and check every medicine against the Prohibited List; apply to NADA for a TUE if you need a banned medicine. [13]
03 Grassroots-to-elite residential pipeline

From the school ground to the India team

The kho-kho ladder [6][11][10][14][2]

The kho-kho ladder
StepAgeWhat happens
1. School & districtFrom childhoodPlay for your school and district; state associations hold sub-junior and junior state championships
2. Sub-junior & junior nationalsSchool and college ageKKFI's national championships — e.g. the 44th Junior Nationals in Bengaluru drew about 1,000 players
3. Khelo India Youth GamesUnder 18Kho-kho is one of the 27 KIYG sports; KKFI runs a scholarship form for players of KIYG semi-finalist teams
4. SAI Training Centre / NCOE12–18 (STC)STCs teach kho-kho; NCOEs at Dharamshala (girls) and Gandhinagar
5. Senior nationalsSeniorSenior National championships feed the India squad
6. India teamSeniorWorld Cup and Asian championships
04 Every age group, child to masters

Kho-kho at every age — school sub-juniors to the senior World Cup team

Kho-kho moves from school sub-junior and junior nationals to the Khelo India Youth Games (under 18) and senior nationals. [6][11]

  1. 8–14years
    Child

    SAI-adopted school (NSTC)

    SAI adopts schools with good facilities in Kho-Kho — one of the nine school sports of its National Sports Talent Contest — so a child of 8 to 14 can study and train there with an NSNIS-trained coach. Entry on district or state results, a battery of tests, age check and medical. [14]

  2. 10–18years
    Youth

    SAI Training Centre (STC)

    Kho-Kho is one of the 27 sports at SAI's Training Centres; team-game entry is for ages 10 to 18. Members of a team in the top 4 at Sub-Junior or Junior Nationals, or the top 2 at state level, can sit the tests. [14]

  3. School ageyears
    Youth

    Sub-junior and junior nationals

    Eligibility certificate signed by your school head with date and place of birth and countersigned by the state association. [9][6]

  4. Under 18years
    Youth

    Khelo India Youth Games

    KKFI runs a scholarship for players of KIYG semi-finalist teams. [11][10]

  5. 17+years
    Coach · official

    Coach — SAI NSNIS courses

    After Class 12: the Six-Week Certificate Course in Sports Coaching (₹14,800; 4 weeks online, 2 at a SAI centre) needs a top-3 district school result, or state, inter-university, SGFI or national participation. The 1-year Diploma in Sports Coaching (₹63,800) runs in Kho-Kho: Class 12 + an international record, or a degree + Senior Nationals, Khelo India University or inter-university play, or Junior Nationals twice. [19][20]

  6. 18–28years
    Job window

    Sports-quota job window

    Railways sports quota takes ages 18–25 (on 1 Jan 2027, Western Railway 2026-27 notice). CRPF takes 18–23 (on 1 Aug 2026) plus 5 years for a sportsperson — up to 28 unreserved, 31 OBC, 33 SC/ST. Central Group C posts relax the upper age by up to 5 years (10 for SC/ST). [17][18][16]

  7. Senioryears
    Senior · open

    Senior nationals and India

    Senior nationals feed the World Cup squad. [2]

05 Top elite academies & cities

Where kho-kho players train

SAI National Centres of Excellence with kho-kho [14]

SAI National Centres of Excellence with kho-kho
CentreOther sports there
Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh (girls only)Athletics, kabaddi, volleyball
Gandhinagar, GujaratHandball, kabaddi, athletics, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis (para)

Kho-kho is also taught at SAI Training Centres (ages 12–18) and in SAI's school and college extension centres. [14]

06 Equipment costs & who pays

A low-cost sport — and who pays the rest

  • Kho-kho needs only a marked ground, two wooden posts and sports clothing and shoes, so the kit needed to start is small; at higher levels the costs are travel and camps. Education Margdarshan does not print shop prices — no governing body publishes them. [1]

Who pays — kho-kho ladder [14][15][10]

Who pays — kho-kho ladder
StagePaid byWhat you get
SAI centre traineeSports Authority of IndiaCoaching, boarding, sports science, diet
Khelo India athleteMinistry of Youth Affairs & Sports₹6.28 lakh a year incl. ₹1.20 lakh cash
KIYG semi-finalist team playerKKFI scholarship (apply through your state association)Scholarship payment to your bank account
Athlete in hardshipPDU National Welfare FundUp to ₹2.50 lakh
07 Earning channels & central job quotas

Railways and central sports-quota jobs

  • Western Railway's 2026-27 sports quota had Level 1 kho-kho posts (all-rounders) for both men and women, and Railways list a Junior National Kho-Kho Championship for each as the recognised junior national. [17]
  • Kho-kho is one of the 65 sports in the central sports quota for Group C posts, with up to 5 years' age relaxation (10 for SC/ST). [16]
  • Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons: ₹12,000–20,000 a month after retirement. [15]
08 Official sources & verification

Where this roadmap comes from

The sources cited on this page, numbered as on the main Kho-Kho guide, read on 17 October 2026. Trials, age rules and scheme amounts change — open the current file before you act on it.

  1. Consortium for Educational Communication (UGC) — B.P.Ed. module: Kho-Kho, Lecture 29 (academic script) (opens in a new tab) History, field terms (posts, central lane, squares, free zone, entry zone), chasers, attackers, runners, giving kho, fouls, direction · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  2. All India Radio News — Kho Kho World Cup 2025: India scripts history as both men's and women's teams lift trophies (opens in a new tab) Finals v Nepal: women 78–40, men 54–36, New Delhi · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  3. All India Radio News — Govt wants to take Kho Kho to Asian Games 2026 & Olympics 2036, says Sports Minister (opens in a new tab) Government aim of Asian Games and Olympic entry · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  4. All India Radio News — Junior National Kho Kho Championship begins in Bengaluru (opens in a new tab) 44th Junior Nationals, about 1,000 players, league-cum-knockout · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  5. KKFI — Certificate of Eligibility of Player (sub-junior/junior nationals) (opens in a new tab) Birth details, school records, sealed photo, head-of-institution and state-association signatures · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  6. KKFI — Scholarship Form for KIYG semi-finalist teams' players (opens in a new tab) Scholarship application with bank details, verified by the state association · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  7. Khelo India Youth Games 2025 (Bihar) — official site (opens in a new tab) Kho-kho among the 27 KIYG sports · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  8. NADA India — Athlete's Rights & Responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Testing availability, Prohibited List, TUE · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  9. SAI — Brief on Sports Promotional Schemes 2024-25 (opens in a new tab) Kho-kho NCOEs (Dharamshala girls, Gandhinagar), STCs and extension centres · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  10. PIB — Financial Support to Athletes (5 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab) Khelo India, welfare fund, pension · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  11. DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) Kho-kho in the 65-sport list, Group C · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  12. Western Railway RRC — Employment Notice RRC/WR/01/2026 (Sports Quota), 27 Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab) Level 1 kho-kho posts (men and women), Junior National Kho-Kho Championship, age 18–25, MoYAS-recognition rule · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  13. CRPF — Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons, HC & Constable (GD), Sports Quota 2026 (Advt. R.II-21/2026-Sports, 17 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) Age and relaxation, qualifications, fee, bond; no kho-kho posts in 2026 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  14. SAI NSNIS Patiala — Six Week Certificate Course in Sports Coaching (opens in a new tab) 6 weeks (4 online, 2 offline), ₹14,800, Class 12 + district-level top 3 or state / inter-university / SGFI / national participation · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  15. SAI NSNIS Patiala — Diploma in Sports Coaching (course page, 2026-27) (opens in a new tab) 1 year, ₹63,800, 785 + 104 seats in 26 disciplines at Patiala, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram; Category A (Class 12 + international record), B (graduation + national record) · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  16. Khelo India Youth Games 2026 (Telangana) — Sports (opens in a new tab) The 25 disciplines listed for KIYG 2026 · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  17. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (booklet), Guideline 8 (opens in a new tab) Cereal-pulse 3:1 protein quality, vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources; most athletes meet protein needs from food, protein powders unnecessary · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  18. NADA India — Managing the Risk of Nutritional Supplements (opens in a new tab) Supplement risk, strict liability, food-first approach · Last checked 15 Oct 2026
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