Bhubaneswar, Jan 11: Three Odisha players have been selected to represent India at the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup to be held in New Delhi.

While Pabani Sabar has been selected to represent the men’s Indian Kho Kho team, Magai Majhi and Subhashree Sing have been selected for the women’s Indian Kho Kho team. A total of 20 men’s and 19 women’s teams will feature in the competition scheduled to be held from January 13 to 19 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.

The trio, who have represented Odisha at the Senior National Championships, have been training at Odisha AM/NS Kho Kho High Performance Centre (HPC) for the past eight months and have been mentored by Sanjeev Sharma, coach of the Odisha Kho Kho HPC.

Congratulating the three players Sharma said, "I have been with these players for the last three and a half years. I closely worked with them when I was the head coach of the Odisha state team and now as the head coach of the HPC.”

“Pabani has always been an all-rounder and an amazing player. He is very sincere and dedicated and was even part of the team that recently won gold at the Ultimate Kho Kho Tournament, so I was always hopeful that he would make it to the main squad for the World Cup and I am really happy for him," he added.

Talking about Magai and Subhashree of the women’s team he said both the players had very stiff competition to make the World Cup Squad, "In the girls team, it was always a very tough competition, there is no doubt about that, but I always told Magai, who comes from a tribal belt, that her speed and agility is unmatched and thus she has the potential of becoming India's best attacker and I so happy that she has been selected, and that is playing as Indian attacker. Subhashree, just like Pabani, is an all-rounder and really good in both attacking and defending, so I am really happy she is in the main squad.”

He further went on to add, “Looking at their past performances I am confident that one of these players will definitely take the player-of-the-match award in one of the upcoming World Cup matches.”

Earlier this month the Odisha government had announced that they will sponsor the national Kho Kho team for the next three years from January 2025 till December 2027.

Sharma went on to thank the Odisha government for backing the National team and said, “It is a really big thing that the government is spending crores on the National team, this is not only helping the team, but encouraging the young kids to take up Kho Kho, and are financially backing them.”

Besides the three players, the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup will also have four technical officials from Odisha as part of the event. (IANS)

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