THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, JANUARY 19, 2026

 Athletes from the Odisha AM/NS India Kho Kho High Performance Centre (HPC) delivered a stirring display of skill, stamina and strategy at the 58th Senior National Kho Kho Championship, underlining the state’s growing dominance in the indigenous sport. Seventeen HPC athletes featured across teams and played a pivotal role in Odisha’s impressive campaign at the championship held at Kazipet Railways Stadium in Telangana from January 11 to 15, 2026.

The Odisha Women’s Team emerged as the tournament’s runners-up after a sensational run, while the Odisha Men’s Team clinched a joint third position alongside Kolhapur, showcasing depth and consistency across categories. The women’s squad, powered by eight HPC athletes, remained unbeaten from the league stage through to the semifinals and pushed powerhouse Maharashtra to the brink in a nail-biting final, narrowly losing 23–22 by just one point. Adding further sheen to Odisha’s campaign, Archana Pradhan was adjudged the Best Defender of the tournament, a testament to the team’s defensive excellence and tactical discipline.

The men’s team, bolstered by eight athletes from the High Performance Centre, displayed remarkable composure and cohesion, winning all their league encounters and advancing confidently through the knockout stages before suffering a close semifinal defeat to eventual champions Railways. Odisha later locked horns with Kolhapur in a thrilling Minimum Chase Match to secure the joint third position. Another HPC athlete, Sameer Adiwal, also made his mark by representing the Madhya Bharat team, highlighting the Centre’s national footprint.

Throughout the championship, the athletes reflected the rigorous training, mental conditioning and technical finesse imparted at the Odisha AM/NS India Kho Kho High Performance Centre. Head Coach Sanjeev Sharma said the results were a validation of the Centre’s long-term vision, noting that competing against the country’s best and delivering such high-quality performances demonstrated the athletes’ discipline, resilience and continuous growth.

The stellar showing at the Senior Nationals adds to an already successful year for the Odisha AM/NS India Kho Kho High Performance Centre, which has also registered strong performances at the 44th Junior National Championship and the 17th Sub Junior State Kho Kho Championship, firmly establishing Odisha as a rising force in Indian Kho Kho.