Cuttack, 20 December, 2023: The much-awaited second season of the Ultimate Kho-Kho League is around the corner, and the Gujarat Giants have announced their captain and the vice-captain. The second season will start in Cuttack on 24 December, 2023, with the final slated for 13 January, 2024. The Gujarat Giants will open their campaign against the Rajasthan Warriors on 25 December.
Leading the charge for the Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants will be Akshay Bhangre, who hails from Mumbai. This will be the 26-year-old’s first foray into the Ultimate Kho-Kho League. Having started playing when he was in the fifth grade, Akshay, who is a defender, represented Maharashtra in national competitions at the senior and junior levels. He captained the Maharashtra senior team and also the Indian Kho Kho team.
Patta Narsayya has been given the responsibility of vice-captain, and will help Akshay and the leadership strategise and build plans for the team. The 28-year-old from Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, will be playing his second season in the Ultimate Kho-Kho League. An attacker with great flair, Patta is a big fan of Kho Kho players Prasanna Kumar and Amit Patil, and has captained his state team. Patta has also donned the Indian colours when the team faced Nepal in a Test series.
“It is my first season in the Ultimate Kho Kho League, and I am honoured that Gujarat Giants have trusted me with captaincy. The Giants are a very strong franchise and I promise to do my best to lead the team to glory. We will try to do our very best every day,” said Akshay Bhangre, Captain, Gujarat Giants.
“The Gujarat Giants have assembled a well-balanced squad. The Adani Sportsline management has given us a free hand to build a squad as per the needs. Akshay Bhangre and Patta Narsayya are good leaders and I am confident they will ensure we put our best foot forward,” said Sanjeev Sharma, Head Coach, Gujarat Giants.
Adani Sportsline’s CBO Sanjay Adesara said, “Kho Kho is a big part of Indian history and we want to see it get elevated to being one of the most followed in the country. We have invested in Kho Kho with the Gujarat Giants, and believe this is one way of ensuring the sport’s profile is elevated. At Adani Sportsline, we are keen to ensure that indigenous sports have effective support to prosper.”
