By S.N. Venkatnag Sobers
Tucked between T. Narasipur and Muguru village in Mysuru district is a tiny village called Kuruburu. Located about 40 kms from Mysuru city, the village is home for about 50 kho kho players, who have represented the State in National and International tournaments.
With a population of about 1,000 people, Kuruburu has about 300 houses largely involving farming community and agricultural labourers. What is unique about Kuruburu is the fact that almost every household has a player who has taken up kho kho as a passion. The village is also dominated by women players who have represented University of Mysore for many years.
Kuruburu not only trains players from the village but has also been helping players from nearby Kothegala, Madarahalli, Seehalli, Thottavadi and Kannahalli to enhance their kho kho skills. Players are often seen coming on bicycles to Kuruburu from neighbouring villages for practice sessions held in the morning and evening.
Kuruburu came into limelight recently with B. Chaithra from the village selected for Indian Women’s Team which won the first ever Kho Kho World Cup held in New Delhi. Earlier, there have been players such as M. Veena, who was the first player from the village to be selected for the Indian Women’s Team during 2016 South Asian Games held at Guwahati and Shillong. Later, Monika and Chaithra went on to don the Team Indian jersey for International Tournament. Not only players, Kuruburu has also produced the International Kho Kho Referee in K.S. Amulya, who was the only woman from Karnataka to officiate in the recently held Kho Kho World Cup.
This tiny village has the distinction of being home for six players — L. Monika, S. Vinutha, K.R. Tejashwini, B. Chaithra, K.M. Nisarga and S. Meghana — who were part of Karnataka Women’s team that took part in the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2.
In the year 2023, 13 out of 15 players in the University of Mysore Women’s Kho Kho Team belonged to Kuruburu village and in the following year, 12 players from the village were part of the Varsity team.
The players are so dedicated towards kho kho that they do not stop their practice even for a single day irrespective
of festivals and National holidays. Everyday about 70 players, 40 girls and 30 boys, are seen practicing rigorously at Vidyadarshini School in the village in morning and evening batches. And among the 40 girls, at least 30 players have represented the State in National-level Tournaments over the past few years. The practice in the morning session starts at 6 am and ends at 7.45 am to make way for the students to attend school and college. Later, in the afternoon session, players in the school start their practice at 3.30 pm and the seniors join them at 4.30 pm and the session is held till about 6.30 pm.
Background
It all started in 2008, when K. Manjunath joined Vidyadarshini School as a mathematics teacher. With no sporting activities being taken up at the school, Manjunath took the mantle upon himself to train the school children in kho kho, as he was a kho kho player himself.
The journey to reach the Nationals has been tough as the school team could not make it even to the top four at Hobli-level for first two years. Undeterred by the setbacks, the team continued to practice under Manjunath’s watchful eyes and reached the District-level in 2009 but lost in the Divisional-level. It was in 2010 that the team tasted its first success with players from Kuruburu selected for State and National-level Tournament. Since then, they have not looked back. In fact, it has been women players who have brought laurels to Kuruburu compared to their male counterparts with about 30 of them having played in the National-level.
No special diet
With a good number of players representing the State and the National-level, one could feel that the players are being given special diet to increase fitness and stamina. Kuruburu being a tiny village and majority of the players coming from lower middle class and middle class families, there is no room for special diet. These players, who have grown up having Raagi Mudde (Raagi balls), chapathi and veggies, continue to consume the same even today. They consume only hygienic food to ensure they do not fall on their fitness.
Coach’s vision
K. Manjunath has a vision of seeing majority of the players from Kuruburu to be a part of the Indian Team at the time when kho kho is included in Asian Games and Olympics.
“I did not get encouragement during my school or college days to pursue kho kho. But, I have ensured to provide an atmosphere at Kuruburu for students to play kho kho and flourish. It would be great to see majority of the players from our village to be part of the Indian Kho Kho Team in International Tournaments,” he hopes.
Champions from Kuruburu
An inspiration for youngsters
M. Veena is the first player from Kuruburu to play for Indian Women’s Team in 2016. She has represented the State in 51 National Tournaments and country in South Asian Games. She is also the recipient of ‘Kreeda Ratna Award’ in 2017 presented by Karnataka Olympic Association and ‘Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai Award’ in 2019 instituted by Kho Kho Federation of India. An inspiration for kho kho players in Kuruburu, Veena has been serving as a Post Woman at Saraswathipuram Post Office in Mysuru. “It feels great that kho kho players from Kuruburu are making headlines at National-level. We are thankful for Manjunath sir for inspiring and encouraging us to take up kho kho. It is because of him that we have been recognised at National-level. We are also grateful to our parents for supporting all our endeavours,” she says.
From Player to International Referee
K.S. Amulya was the lone woman referee from Karnataka to be a part of the officials’ team at Kho Kho World Cup-2025. Having played professional kho kho for the past 16 years, she passed the All India Referee Examination in 2018 and later National Workshops held at Punjab, Warangal and Delhi to be certified as a qualified Kho Kho Referee. Currently working as a Physical Education Teacher at Vidyodaya Girls High School in T. Narasipur, Amulya has represented the University of Mysore for five years and Davanagere University for a year. “We were not that good in any sport. Manjunath sir joining our school was a blessing in disguise. He encouraged us to practice regularly and because of which we have seen many players from our village reach the National and International-level,” says Amulya.
A dream come true…
It has been a journey of hardship. Having attended the National Women’s Camp thrice, getting selected to Indian Team for the World Cup was dream come true. Like all other players, even I am thankful to Manjunath sir for all his encouragement. I only hope that this sport gets more and more recognition in the days to come. —B. Chaithra
Will continue to work hard
We are happy that one of our seniors played at the World Cup and we are inspired to follow her path to play for India. Though kho kho was started at the school for fitness, now it is played professionally with players representing the State in the Senior, Junior and Sub-Junior levels.
—R. Arpitha, University of Mysore player
This post was published on February 16, 2025 6:40 pm