Overview:
Thus far; the central Uganda has been cartered for with coaching programs in Wakiso, Kampala, Mpigi, Butambala, Mukono, Buikwe, Luweero, Mubende, Luweero and lately Masaka district and Masaka city. The Eastern region has had sessions of coaches in Jinja, Iganga, Kaliro to the far North East districts of Kumi, Kapchorwa, Amuria, Serere, Soroti and the like. Northern Uganda has had similar programs in Gulu, Lira and others. The Western region docket, too, has not been spared with activations in Kiryandongo, Hoima city, Mbarara City and the surrounding districts.
Something special is brewing up in Uganda’s sports subsector.
It is not the known yeast in the famous local brew across the country nor the people’s favourite beer.
Rather, it is the sport of Kho Kho, a traditional South Asian sport that is played on a rectangular court (grass or mat).
Just days after the historic inaugural Annual General Assembly for Kho Kho Uganda, the association is expanding its programs and making the presence felt across the different corners of motherland Uganda.
From the North to South and the East to West, it is all Kho Kho being preached aloud to local communities with the school environs a major catchment zone.
“Kho Kho Uganda has deliberate plans to grow the sport in the different regions of the country; first with capacity building programs for coaches and trainers, players and administrators. We are targeting a total of 5000 coaches in three years” Mustafa Nsubuga, the vibrant president boldly attests.
Thus far; the central Uganda has been cartered for with coaching programs in Wakiso, Kampala, Mpigi, Butambala, Mukono, Buikwe, Luweero, Mubende, Luweero and lately Masaka district and Masaka city.
The Eastern region has had sessions of coaches in Jinja, Iganga, Kaliro to the far North-East districts of Kumi, Kapchorwa, Amuru, Serere, Soroti and the like.
Northern Uganda has had similar programs in Gulu, Lira and others.
The Western region docket, too, has not been spared with activations in Kiryandongo, Hoima city, Mbarara City and the surrounding districts.
This coming week, there is a secondary school championship in Serere gearing up the nationals due in Gulu at Sacred Heart secondary school where Kho Kho will be among the five demonstration games on the menu.
Since Uganda national female team earned bronze at the Inaugural Kho Kho World Cup in India (2025), the sport has witnessed an enviable trajectory path.
In fact, Kho Kho has been well received on the table of men for Uganda’s sports disciplines and deservedly demands for an equal share of a reasonable financial coffer from the Government of Uganda through the National Council of Sports (NCS) as well as other prospective sponsors and partners.
Kho Kho Uganda has a financial budget of Ug.Shs 1.906 billion for the 2026/27 season.
About Kho Kho sport:
Kho kho is a traditional South Asian sport that date to ancient India.It is the second-most popular traditional tag game in the Indian sub-continent after Kabaddi.
Kho kho is played on a rectangular court with a central lane connecting two poles which are at either end of the court.
During the game, nine players from the chasing team (attacking team) are on the field, with eight of them sitting (crouched) in the central lane, while three runners from the defending team run around the court and try to avoid being touched.
Each sitting player on the chasing team faces the opposite half of the field that their adjacent teammates are facing.
At any time, one player from the chasing team (the ‘active chaser’/’attacker’) may run around the court to attempt to tag (touch) members of the defending team, with one point scored per tag, and each tagged defender required to leave the field; however, the active chaser cannot cross the central lane to access the other half of the field, and cannot change direction once they start running toward either pole.
The chasing team can get around these restrictions if the active chaser either switches roles with a sitting teammate (by touching them on the back while saying “Kho”) who is facing the other half of the court and therefore has access to it, or runs to the area behind either pole and then switches direction/half.
Each team has two turns to score and two turns to defend, with each turn lasting nine minutes. The team that scores the most points by the end of the game wins.
The sport is widely played across South Asia and also has a presence in other regions with a significant South Asian diaspora, such as South Africa and England.
It is played most often by school children, and is also a competitive sport.
The first franchise league for the sport, Ultimate Kho Kho was unveiled in India in August 2022.
