Cuttack, 23rd December 2023: After a long wait, the second season of the Ultimate Kho-Kho League is finally here and kicking off on December 24, 2023, with the final having been scheduled for 13 January 2024. The tournament, which promises to be bigger and better this time around, will see the Rajasthan Warriors commence their season against the Gujarat Giants on December 25.
Taking the reins as the captain for the Rajasthan Warriors — owned by Capri Sports — will be Majahar Jamadar, who hails from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The star attacker, who was with the Warriors in season one as well, started playing Kho Kho at a very young age and has built himself into one of the best players around. He won the Gold Medal in the Senior Nationals in his hometown Ichalkaranji, and soon, went on to win five more. Having chosen Kho Kho because of the sport’s game spirit, discipline and strong mental power, Jamadar will play a key role in leading his team this time around, an aspect of his game that he is looking forward to.
“It is a proud moment for me to represent the Rajasthan Warriors in the Ultimate Kho Kho League and now captain the team as well. I feel confident that the team management have chosen me to lead the side for season two, and with the help of my teammates and everyone on the coaching staff, I hope to lead the team to glory in this season and the seasons to come,” he said after receiving the captainship of the team.
Meanwhile, Akshay Ganpule has been chosen as the deputy to Majahar Jamadar. The 24-year-old from Pune, Maharashtra, will continue in his second season in the Ultimate Kho-Kho League with the Warriors. In the 10 matches in the first season of the Ultimate Kho Kho League, he scored 24 points, with seven Total Dives and 2 Sky Dives to his name. He also has an average Touch Point of 0.8. His achievements include a Gold Medal at the South Asian Games, two-time Gold and Silver Medallist in the Senior National and four-time Gold Medallist in the Federation National.
These players will work closely with head coach Parthavareddy Brahmanaidu and assistant coach Thimmaraju T. “Both Majahar Jamadar and Akshay Ganpule are young and exciting talents for the future of the sport in India. It will be a new experience working with them and the whole Rajasthan Warriors team and the goal for the squad is to improve on our performance from Season 1 and ensure that we are among the top-performing teams in the Ultimate Kho Kho League Season 1.”
The excitement of the new leadership group was also shared by Apurv Gupta, Senior Vice-President, Contact Sports, Capri Sports, “I am pleased to see two players from the first season take up a major role in leading the side for the upcoming edition of the Ultimate Kho Kho League. Kho Kho is an indigenous sport that Capri Sports is very dedicated to promoting, and with the current batch of players and coaching staff, the future of the Rajasthan Warriors is a very bright one.”
