Central Railway Shines in All India Inter-Railway Kho-Kho Championship

 

18th All India Inter-Railway Kho-Kho Competition 2024-25

Central Railway Shines in All India Inter-Railway Kho-Kho Championship
Ramji Kashyap Awarded Best Player of the Tournament

 

Mumbai, October 23: The 18th All India Inter-Railway Kho-Kho Championship concluded in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. Six teams participated in this three-day competition, including South Central Railway, Central Railway, Western Railway, Northern Railway, Railway Sports Promotion Board, and South East Central Railway. A total of 88 players along with 13 officers from various railway zones took part. The Railway Board appointed 14 referees to ensure the smooth conduct of the tournament and four inspectors to oversee its success.

In the final match, the host and defending champions, South East Central Railway from Bilaspur, faced a tough challenge from Central Railway, Mumbai. Right from the start, an intense match unfolded, but in the end, Central Railway managed to secure victory with a score of 14-13, holding off South East Central Railway for nearly three minutes. The performance of both teams fluctuated moment to moment throughout the match, with a halftime score of 7-7, as each player fought hard for their team’s victory.

In the second half, South East Central Railway made an aggressive start, successfully eliminating six Central Railway players. However, Central Railway players defended tenaciously, making it difficult for South East Central players to score. In the final moments, Central Railway elevated their game, eliminating seven players from South East Central Railway and celebrated their victory. Key contributions came from Central Railway’s Ramji Kashyap (2, 1.10 min defence & 5 points), Vijay Hazare (1.50, 2 min defence & 1 point), Sanket Kadam (1.30, 1.40 min defence), Dilip Khandvi (1.30, 1.30 min defence & 1 point), and Avadhoot Patil (not out 1.10 min defence & 4 points). In contrast, South East Central Railway's Arun Gunki (1.20, 1 min defence & 2 points), Nilesh (1.40 min defence & 1 point), Aditya Ganpule (1.10, 1.10 min defence), and Swami (1.10, 1.30 min defence & 2 points) put up a fierce fight but fell short of repeating last year's success.

After the match, Central Railway's coach Sudhir Mhaske and team manager Yogesh More expressed satisfaction, stating that the players hard work had brought the victory.

In the third-place match, Western Railway defeated South Central Railway to secure third place. Ramji Kashyap was awarded the Best Player title, while Ranjan Shetty received the Best Attacker award, and Arun Gunki was honoured with the Best Defender award.

The award ceremony was held in the presence of Railway General Manager Meenu Itiyera, who congratulated the winning team and all participating teams. She said that all teams represented the railway family and displayed commendable and high-quality play.