India gets serious: A month-long boot camp to claim kho kho World Cup victory
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Hosts India will begin its training camp at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in the national capital from December 10 to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025. The training camp marks the beginning of the Indian team's final preparations for the Kho Kho World Cup, set to take place from January 13 to 19, 2025 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The one-month-long crucial fitness and conditioning training camp will be overlooked by head coach Ashwani Sharma. All necessary medical tests will be conducted during the first two days before formally starting the training camp to assess the physical condition and suitability of the players for the camp. Around 60 talented players, both experienced and young, from each men's and women's side, drawn from all over India will take part in the training camp to learn techniques on lightning-fast reflexes, precise movement and seamless coordination.The camp will provide players an opportunity to work closely with each other as a team and learn what is required at the highest level to win the game. National camps bring all players together to prepare as a cohesive unit.The final squads for the Kho Kho World Cup will be selected based on their performance during the training camp. Around 16 coaches and support staff will assist the players in preparation for the key event, said the president of Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) Sudhanshu Mittal.
The training camp will focus on enhancing fitness levels, with specialised training in coordination, game practice, techniques, chasing skills like pole diving & tapping, running skills like dodging and zigzag running, etc.
The KKFI has also engaged a sports psychologist to support the players for mental health resources. The psychologist will help players address challenges, manage pressure and combat mental fatigue.
Renowned experts from various disciplines like yoga, meditation, dietetics and physiology will focus on various disciplines during the training camps to generate team spirit, cooperation, and understanding among players to optimise performance, mental toughness, the KKFI chief added.
Mittal further said that special arrangements have been made for taking care of the players' nutrition, who will be provided food supplements, dry fruits, juices and food at the training camp. The players' boarding and lodging arrangements will be made at the Jawahar Lal Nehru SAI hostel, which is within 100 meters of the training camp venue. All the players will be provided free boarding and lodging facilities and a sports kit worth Rs 20,000.
