Inspiring play by Madhu (a student from NDRK College, Hassan, who dodged for 2min.sec and scored 8 outs) and Kiran (who dodged for 3min and scored 3 outs), enabled hosts University of Mysore (UoM) to score a upset 19-12 win over defending champion Mangalore University, in the first league match on the penultimate day of South Zone Inter-University Men’s Kho-Kho Championship (2017-18) conducted by the Department of Physical Education, UoM, at University Grounds here yesterday.

Krishnaprasad (3min & 2 outs) and Supreeth (1min40s & 2 outs) played well for Mangalore University, but their efforts went in vain as UoM secured 2 points for their upset win in the first league match.

In the second league match of the day, last year’s fourth place winners, University of Calicut beat Davangere University by 1 point and 2 minutes to spare (13-12) to register their first win.

Earlier in the pre-quarter-final matches, Davnagere University, qualified for the league stage for the first time by beating last year’s runner-up Kuvempu University 15-10, who with this loss crashed out of the championships. Defending champion, Mangalore University scored a 13-8 (an innings) win over Tumkur University. Last year’s third place winner and hosts University of Mysore and fourth place winner University of Calicut also registered good wins over their respective rivals.

With the wins, Davangere University, UoM, University of Calicut and defending champion Mangalore University entered the league stage of the tourney.

The South Zone Tourney concludes this evening and the four teams, qualify for the All-India Inter-University Men’s Kho-Kho Championship (2017-18) to be held in Mysuru from Jan.22 to 24. Four teams each from North, West, East Zones will take part in the All-India Tournament.

The prizes to the winners will be given by Prof. C. Basavaraju, In-charge Vice-Chancellor, UoM, in the valedictory function to be held at 4.30 pm today.

Results

League: University of Mysore bt Mangalore University 19-12 (by seven points), University of Calicut bt Davangere University 13-12 (1 point & 2 min. to spare).

Quarter-final: Davangere University bt Kuvempu University 15-10 (by 5 points), University of Mysore bt Rani Chennamma University, Belagavi 15-11 (an innings & 4 points), Mangalore University bt Tumkur University 13-8 (an innings & 5 points), University of Calicut bt Bangalore University 22-11 (by 11 points).

Pre-quarter-finals: Davangere University bt Andhra University, Vishakapatnam 9-8 (an innings & 1 point), Rani Chennamma University, Belagavi bt VTU, Belagavi 11-10 (by 1 point & 6 min to spare), Bangalore University bt University of Madras 13-12 (by 1 point & 7 min to spare), Tumkur University bt Osmania University, Hyderabad 10-8 (an innings & 2 points).