Keshvi Shah is training for the opportunity of a lifetime – to represent England in the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi in January 2025. The teenager from north-west London was among the top 15 to make the cut following intense trials by the Kho Kho Federation of England (KKFE) recently.
Shah, one of the youngest players in the women’s team, tells iGlobal about her pride at being selected to represent England on the world stage, the nuances of this traditional Indian sport and the teamwork involved.
How did you first get involved with the sport of Kho Kho?
I first started Kho Kho a few years ago when I got introduced to it from my community club. We would play it every other week on a Friday and soon we started entering the KKFE nationals.
Up until now I have always thought of it as just a side sport that we play but having been selected to play for England in the World Cup has made me realise it can be so much more.
For those unfamiliar with the rules, what is Kho Kho all about?
For those that don’t know, Kho Kho is played in teams where one team sits down and catches whilst the other team runs away. The running team consists of batches of three that go in and run until they are caught out.
The catching team sits down in a line and they are only allowed to run in one direction, and they aren’t able to cross the centre line. Each game lasts seven minutes and then the teams swap over. The rules are much more complicated but those are just the basics!
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What was the experience like of getting recognised in this sport?
Getting involved in this sport has always been fun as we have been playing for quite a while with all our friends. Then entering competitions has always been such a good experience.
Playing with my sister (Akshi) was a bonus too and when I heard she also got shortlisted to try out for the England team, I was quite excited at the thought we could be playing in India together. Unfortunately, she was too young so didn’t make the team. But for her age (13), even getting shortlisted is an achievement and hopefully in the next few years she will be able to make the team.
How does it feel as you look forward to representing England in the first World Cup?
I am very excited and slightly nervous to travel to India. I can’t wait to see all the other teams and have this experience with my friends. However, I am also scared as this is the first time I’ll be playing in such a large-scale competition like this.
The competition is between 14-18 January 2025 and will be held in New Delhi. Overall, I am really looking forward to representing the England team in the Kho Kho World Cup.
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How does your Indian heritage inspire you?
I recently moved to Avanti House Sixth Form from Haberdashers Girls’ School. Moving to an Indian faith school has been quite a change from my old school but so far, I am really enjoying it.
Before Covid-19, my family and I would plan trips to India every year, mostly going to Mumbai as we all really love the city. I am excited to go to Delhi this time, as I’ve never been so it will be really nice to experience the capital of India.
