State kho-kho begin with bang

Kho Kho powerhouses Maharashtra and Gujarat began their campaign on a thunderous note as the competition in India's popular indigenous sport got under way at the Khelo India Youth Games 2020 here in Guwahati, Assam today. Besides the two states, Punjab and Kerala too impressed with stellar performances on the opening day of the Kho Kho competition.

Having reached both the men's and women's finals at the Senior National Championships last month, Maharashtra continued their supremacy with a dominant 169 win against Tamil Nadu in U-21 boys' category. Team Maharashtra dazzled right from the start and secured all their 16 points in the first innings itself.

In the under-17 girls, Gujarat got some stiff resistance from Haryana with the latter even taking a 7-3 lead at the end of the first innings. Gujarat showed their might in the second innings with a wonderful comeback that ultimately helped them edge their spirited opponents 12-11.Gujarat had a much easier time in the boys' section though. Having taken a slim 8-7 lead over Karnataka, they surged to a 21-12 win with a superb show in the second innings.

Kerala too notched up a couple of wins on the first day. With a 10-7 win over Telengana in U-21 boys' category and an 11-10 win against Chhattisgarh in U-17 boys' category, Kerala made a very strong start to their title aspirations.

Eight teams have been divided into two groups in boys and girls.